We have now learned that 449,085 people entered Macau in September, including tourists and hikers, 97.7 percent more, when compared to the previous month, August 2020.
This number almost doubled, compared to 227,113 entries registered in August.
Seen in this way, in isolation, there is a significant increase.
However, when the perspective opens, those 449,000 visitors are miles away from the little more than 2.7 million visitors who passed through Macau in September 2019. There is an 83.8 percent drop.
But when looking at numbers, some caution is in order.
Furthermore, the September data cannot be dissociated from new and less restrictive measures adopted by the authorities, both internally and externally, opening the doors of the territory to visitors from China, the world’s largest tourism emitter market, including, of course Macao. Of the total entries in September, 412,451 traveled from the interior of China.
The basis of comparison between 2019 and 2020 will always cause anguish, concern, uncertainty, whatever the observer’s angle
In fact, these remain the only visitors who can enter without mandatory quarantine, upon presentation of a simple nucleic acid test.
The most relevant in all of this is that this growth seems to bring with it signs of a positive trend for the future. Basically, what will be of most interest to the economic and social life of the territory, which is also strongly affected by the effects of the pandemic.
However, it is repeated, when talking about numbers, caution is needed.
With what remains of the year, 2020 can expect little more than results close to zero.
The basis of comparison between 2019 and 2020 will always cause anguish, concern, uncertainty, whatever the observer’s angle.
Especially when it is known that the territory ended 2019 with an absolute record of visitors, skimming the 40 million people. A stratospheric figure for a city of about 650 thousand inhabitants.
A basis for comparison … incomparable!
The path is made by walking …
*Executive Editor of Plataforma
