The Macao Special Administrative Region recorded some 1.21 million visitor arrivals during the first seven days of the Chinese mainland’s nine-day Chinese New Year (CNY) “Golden Week” holiday period this year, representing a daily average of 173,212, according to data released by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

This year, the mainland’s Spring Festival holiday period lasts nine days for the first time, beginning on February 15, the day before the eve of the Chinese New Year of the Horse. The Year of the Horse began on Tuesday last week.

Last year, the mainland’s Spring Festival holiday period lasted eight days, beginning on the eve of the Chinese New Year of the Snake.

ALSO READ: Macao stages parade, fireworks celebrating Year of the Horse

According to the latest MGTO data released Sunday, Macao recorded 131,960 visitor arrivals on the first day of this year’s Spring Festival holiday, 85,894 on the second day, 147,031 on the third day, 186,537 on the fourth day, 227,905 on the fifth day (the third day of the Year of the Horse), 218,968 on the sixth day, and 214,187 on the seventh day (last Saturday).

The visitor-arrival data released by MGTO were slightly adjusted from the visitor-arrival data released by the Public Security Police (PSP), which run Macao’s immigration service.

Consequently, Macao recorded 1,212,482 visitor arrivals during the first seven days of the mainland’s nine-day Spring Festival holiday this year, i.e., between Sunday and Saturday last week, representing a daily average of 173,212 during the period.

The 227,905 visitor arrivals recorded on the third day of the Year of the Horse set a new record of single-day number of visitor arrivals, breaking the previous record set on the third day of the Year of the Pig in pre-pandemic 2019, at 226,326.

The number of visitor arrivals recorded during the first seven days of this year’s Spring Festival holiday period is not comparable with the number recorded during the first seven days of last year’s Spring Festival holiday period, because last year’s holiday period began on the eve of the CNY while this year’s holiday period began on the day before the eve of the CNY.

According to the data released on the MGTO website, the number of visitor arrivals recorded on the third day of the Year of the Horse (2026) represented a 4.0 percent increase from the number recorded on the third day of the Year of the Snake (2025).

READ MORE: Macao rings in Year of the Horse with festive parade

The number of visitor arrivals recorded on the fifth day of the Year of the Horse represented a 13.3 percent increase from the number recorded on the fifth day of the Year of the Snake, according to the MGTO data.

During the first seven days of this year’s nine-day Spring Festival holiday in the mainland, according to the MGTO data, Macao recorded 932,752 visitor arrivals from the mainland, accounting for 76.9 percent of the total.

Customarily, Macao’s CNY public holiday lasts three days. This year, it was between Tuesday and Thursday last week.

The Macau Post Daily is a media partner of China Daily.