VISITOR EXPENDITURE SURVEY
2nd QUARTER / 2005
No. 2
Official Statistics. Reproduction of these data is allowed provided the source is quoted.
Statistics and Census Service
17th floor, “Dynasty Plaza” Bldg., 411-417 Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, Macao Tel: 3995311 Fax: 307825 Printed in August 2005
E-mail: info@dsec.gov.mo Homepage: http://www.dsec.gov.mo
In the second quarter of 2005, per-capita spending of visitors dropped by 12% over the same quarter of 2004 to MOP 1,334. Per-capita spending of visitors from Mainland China topped the list with MOP 2,856. Per-capita spending of tourists and same-day visitors was MOP 1,900 and MOP.463 respectively, down by 4% and 1% over the same period of 2004.
Table 1 : Per-capita spending of visitors by place of residence
MOP
Visitor Tourist Same-day visitor
Place of
residence 2nd quarter 2004
2nd quarter 2005
Δ (%)
2nd quarter 2005
Δa (%)
2nd quarter 2005
Δa (%)
Total 1 517 1 334 -12.1 1 900 -3.6 463 -1.5
Mainland China 2 820 2 856 1.3 3 932 17.0 620 -4.3
Hong Kong 894 831 -7.0 1 097 -1.9 431 2.1
Taiwan, China 1 109 1 013 -8.7 1 956 10.1 287 2.5
Japan 727 626 -13.9 1 220 -6.4 474 -10.1
Southeast Asia 941 958 1.8 1 150 -9.0 512 -7.9
Europe 287 610 112.5 918 .. 354 23.3
Americas 816 735 -9.9 1 072 -2.8 379 -24.7
Oceania 327 700 114.1 1 549 .. 360 10.1
a Comparsion with the same period of previous year.
Per-capita non-shopping and shopping spending
Compared with the second quarter of 2004, per-capita non-shopping spending of visitors dropped by 7% to MOP 787. Spending on “food and beverage” accounted for 40% of the total non-shopping spending and“accommodation” shared 34%.
In addition, per-capita shopping spending of visitors was MOP 547, a decrease of 19% over the same quarter of 2004. Spending on “Chinese pastry, candy and food” (30% of the total shopping spending) and “clothing and fabrics” (22%) were the more popular shopping items on the list.
Although gaming spending is not considered in the per-capita spending of visitors, in the second quarter of 2005, about 51% of the interviewed visitors claimed that they had gambled during their stay in Macao.
Table 2 : Visitor spending by type of expense a
2nd quarter 2nd quarter
2004 2005
Type of expense
MOP
Δ %
Per-capita spending 1 517 1 334 -12.1
Non-shopping spending 843 787 -6.6
Accommodation 303 265 -12.5
Food and beverage 335 317 -5.4
Local transport 49 50 2.0
Outbound transport b 125 138 10.4
Entertainment and others 32 17 -46.9
Shopping spending 674 547 -18.8
Clothing and fabrics 140 121 -13.6
Jewellery and watches 113 61 -46.0
Chinese pastry, candy and food 183 165 -9.8
Cosmetics and perfume 72 68 -5.6
Cellular phones and accessories / electrical appliances
57 45 -21.1
Others 108 87 -19.4
Column totals may not add up to the amount as stated due to rounding.
a Excluding gaming spending
b Excluding air fare
Graph I : Per-capita shopping spending of visitors by place of residence
Oceania Europe Americas
S.E.
Asia Mainland
China
HK Taiwan,
China
Japan
2nd quarter 2004 2nd quarter 2005 MOP
0 200 400 600 800 1 000 1 200 1 400 1 600 1 800 2 000
Visitors from Mainland China spent 55% of their per-capita spending on shopping whereas visitors from Hong Kong and Taiwan, China spent 75% and 73% of their respective per-capita spending on non-shopping items.
In terms of shopping items, Mainland visitors spent 27% of their per-capita shopping spending on “clothing and fabrics”, while Hong Kong and Taiwan, China visitors spent 79% and 37% of their per-capita shopping spending on “Chinese pastry, candy and food”.
Graph II : Structure of per-capita spending by place of residence
Per-diem spending
Per-diem spending of visitors was MOP 1,312, down by 3% over the second quarter of 2004.
Mainland visitors had the highest per-diem spending, at MOP 2,250.
Length of stay
The average length of stay of visitors was 1.0 day, a decrease of 0.1 day compared with the second quarter of 2004, while the average of tourists (1.5 days) and same-day visitors (0.2 day) remained unchanged. Visitors from Mainland China, Southeast Asia and Europe tended to stay one night or longer in Macao.
Table 3 : Average length of stay
Day Length of stay
Type of visitors 2nd quarter 2004
2nd quarter 2005
Difference
Visitor 1.1 1.0 -0.1
Tourist 1.5 1.5 -
Same-day i i
0.2 0.2 -
S.E.
Asia Mainland
China
HK Taiwan,
China
Japan Europe Oceania
Non-shopping spending Shopping spending Americas
MOP
0 500 1 000 1 500 2 000 2 500 3 000
Characteristics of visitors
Around 63% of the interviewed visitors came to Macao mainly for “vacation”; other major purposes included “business” (15%), “visiting relatives or friends” (12%) and “gaming” (7%).
Graph III : Main purpose of visit
In terms of occupation of the visitors, 25% were “clerks”, 24% “legislators, senior officials and managers” and 10% “technicians and associate professionals”; 21% of the visitors were
“ without occupation” such as housewives, students, unemployed and retired persons.
Comments from visitors
All the interviewed visitors commented on the environmental hygiene and points of tourist attractions in Macao. They were most satisfied with the environmental hygiene, with 54% in favour. On the other hand, 13% considered points of tourist attractions in Macao were inadequate.
Within the interviewed visitors travelling in package tours, 66% complimented on the services rendered by travel agencies. With regard to services and facilities, 62% of the interviewees appreciated services of hotels in Macao. There were also favourable comments on services of gaming establishments (60%), shops (59%), restaurants (59%) and public transport (56%).
However, 8% of the interviewed visitors suggested that the public transport services should be improved.
Table 4:Comments on services and facilities
% Services and facilities Satisfied Fair Should be
improved No comment
Travel agencies 66 14 3 16
Hotels 62 31 5 2
Restaurants 59 35 4 3
Shops 59 33 3 5
Public transport 56 33 8 3
Gaming establishments 60 31 3 6
Percentage totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Others 3%
Visiting relatives or friends 12%
Vacation 63%
Gaming 7%
Business 15%
Methodology Visitor Expenditure Survey is conducted at different departure points on a daily basis, to collect information on visitors’ spending (excluding gaming expenses) during their stay in Macao.
To facilitate the data collection process, the questionnaire is available in Chinese, Portuguese, English and Japanese.
Method of sampling
As it is impossible to interview all visitors at different departure points due to the sheer volumn of them. Visitor Expenditure Survey uses a systematic sampling method in selecting samples, including tourists and same-day visitors who are non-residents of Macao.
Table 5 : Sampling errors
MOP
Visitor Tourist Same-day visitor
Mode of spending 2nd quarter
2004
2nd quarter 2005
2nd quarter 2004
2nd quarter 2005
2nd quarter 2004
2nd quarter 2005
Per-capita spending 43.7 37.7 59.8 58.7 11.9 10.5
Non-shopping spending 16.0 15.4 20.5 22.3 3.8 3.4
Shopping spending 35.2 29.2 49.5 47.0 11.7 10.1
Concepts
Visitora:
Any person travelling to a place other than that of his/her usual environment for less than 12 consecutive months and whose main purpose of travel is other than the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.
Classification of visitors:
a) Tourist (overnight visitor): visitor who stays at least one night in a collective or private accommodation in the country visiteda. In addition, we have added two criteria, which are as follows:
1) visitor who stays for more than 24 hours in Macao, or
2) visitor who stays for less than 24 hours and does not stay overnight in Macao but with his/her arrangement made in a collective accommodation such as hotel, guest-houses, etc..
b) Same-day visitor a: visitor who does not spend the night in a collective or private accommodation in the country visited.
Symbols and abbreviations - Absolute value equals zero
MOP Macao Pataca
Δ% Rate of change
% Per cent
.. Not applicable
a World Tourism Organization, Concepts, Definitions and Classifications for Tourism Statistics, 1995
The following statistical tables can be downloaded from our website
Table 1 : Characteristics of interviewed visitors by place of residence
Table 2 : Average length of stay of interviewed visitors by place of residence Table 3 : Per-capita spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence
Table 4 : Per-capita non-shopping spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence Table 5 : Per-capita shopping spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence Table 6 : Per-diem spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence
Table 7 : Per-capita spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence and type of expense Table 8 : Per-capita shopping spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence and type of
expense
Table 9 : Other characteristics of interviewed visitors by place of residence Table 10 : Occupation of interviewed visitors by place of residence
Table 11 : Sampling errors of per-capita spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence and type of expense
Table 12 : Sampling errors of per-capita shopping spending of interviewed visitors by place of residence and type of expense
Table 13 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on services of travel agencies Table 14 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on services of restaurants
Table 15 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on services of hotels and similar establishments Table 16 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on services of shops
Table 17 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on services of public transport Table 18 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on environmental hygiene Table 19 : Interviewed visitors’ comments on points of tourist attractions