Macao received 18 percent more tourists during the Chinese New Year, thanks to the opening of new casinos and a stronger renminbi.

More than 760,000 travellers visited the enclave from February 18 to 24, Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO) said yesterday.

About 420,000, or 55 percent of the tourists were from the mainland, a growth of 21.55 percent.

Arrivals from Hong Kong have also registered a growth of 10 percent, from 246,000 last year to 270,000.

The opening of new casinos such as Grand Lisboa played a key role in the increase of visitor arrivals.

Some analysts said the continuous appreciation of renminbi also helped attract more mainland tourists. The currency appreciation gave a boost to their spending power in the overseas market.

Macao's hotel industry was the most direct beneficiary of the tourist boom.

During the Lunar New Year "Golden Week" holiday, average occupancy rate of 3 to 5-star hotels was 94.98 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage point. The average hotel room rate for 3 to 5-star hotels was 1154.55 patacas, a rise of 16.5 percent over the same period of last year.

During the Chinese New Year, MGTO organized a series of celebrations and cultural activities showcasing the city's cultural character as a meeting point of East and West.

(HK Edition 02/27/2007 page6)