About 40 percent of the 40.37 million outbound trips made by mainland Chinese tourists in the first six months of 2023 were to Macao, according to the state-backed China Tourism Academy – a research unit of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The academy’s Big Data Report on Outbound Tourism in the First Half of 2023, cited yesterday in a local government statement, suggests that mainland travelers made some 16.14 million visits to Macao between January and June.
It added that Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan accounted for almost 80 percent of all trips made by mainland travelers during the period, with Macao responsible for just over half of those visits.
If verified, the figures would make the territory of China’s most popular destination for outbound travel. However, numbers given by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) last month suggests that “cumulative visitor arrivals” from all markets stood at just 11.6 million for the first half of the year.
[See more:Airport expansion set to kick off in 2024]
In response to the academy’s report, the local government said it was “pleased to see mainland tourists choosing to come to Macao” but said that it would “spare no effort” in “advancing diversification of the city’s tourism industry.”
The MGTO has made no secret of its wish to reduce Macao’s overwhelming dependence on the mainland Chinese market and says it is launching initiatives to revive long-haul markets.
Data compiled by the Statistics and Census Service shows that foreign passport holders are represented less than four percent of the visitors to Macao during the first five months of 2023.
Along with the increase in the tourism sector and a surge in passenger traffic in various modes of transportation, the Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI) noted that the global tourism sector will develop rapidly in 2024. This is certainly good news amidst news about money exchange rates in several countries which are still fluctuating. .
MEI expects this momentum to continue, as the majority of consumers around the world prioritize experience or an unforgettable experience, as well as allocating more budget for travel.
By using unique analysis of various Mastercard transaction data that has been grouped and anonymized, including from SpendingPulseTM Mastercard and third party data, MEI also prepared a report entitled “Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries.”
The report explores key tourism trends in 2024, and is expected to provide comprehensive insight into the development of the tourism industry landscape in 74 countries, including 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region.
MEI Chief Economist for Asia Pacific, David Mann, said that his party helps businesses and policymakers translate macroeconomic forces and data insights into strategies that can be executed at the country and company level.
1. Tourist destinations in Asia Pacific are increasingly popular
Portrait of Ulun Lake Beratan Temple in Bali (unsplash.com/mrqs_g)
Various countries in the Asia Pacific region have increasingly shown their popularity in the last 12 months. In the report Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries, There are 10 countries in the world that are listed as Trending Tourism Destinations, namely Japan, Ireland, Romania, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Six of the 10 countries are in the Asia Pacific region.
This is influenced by passenger traffic in the Asia Pacific region becoming increasingly capable, especially for shorter inter-regional trips. For example, traveling from Singapore to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Jakarta.
David Mann reveals the character of consumers or tourists in Asia Pacific. “Consumers in Asia Pacific have a strong desire to travel and are increasingly smarter in getting the best (accommodation) prices,” he said at the report launch event Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries virtually on Thursday (16/5/2024) via Zoom. “They want an unforgettable experience on every trip they make.”
2. Leisure for Longer is a trend in the Asia Pacific region
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Editor’s picks
Illustration of tourists relaxing (unsplash.com/bettenz)
Leisure for longer or extending the trip is a trend that many tourists do. Across the world, tourists are extending their trips on average by around one day compared to normal times before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Europe regions are the countries that benefit most from this trend, with around two additional days spent in the destination country. In contrast, the United States has benefited less from this new trend, seeing a smaller increase in travel length.
Meanwhile, tourists in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Australia and New Zealand) are extending their trips by an average of 1.2 days to a total duration of 7.4 days in 2024, longer than the 2019 average of 6.1 days per trip. In Indonesia, tourists extended their vacation time by 1.9 days.
Trends Leisure for Longer This is influenced by several factors, such as destination affordability, warm weather, and favorable exchange rates. The longer tourists spend in a place, the more money they will spend there. Of course this has a positive impact on the local economy.
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3. Experience-oriented activities are preferred
Illustration of tourists climbing a mountain (unsplash.com/toomastartes)
Global consumers prioritize experiences over materials. This can be seen in the tourism sector with spending on experience or experience and nightlife or night entertainment reaches 12 percent of tourism sales. This figure is the highest in the last five years. Meanwhile, retail spending shows a slower trend.
In the report Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries, Australian tourists are said to be the group with the highest spending in the world on activities experience And nightlife. In 2024, Australians will spend 1 in every 5 dollars (19 percent) on experience And nightlife, much higher than the global average (12 percent).
So, those are some of the 2024 tourism trends that are increasingly popular with many people based on reports Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries from the Mastercard Economic Institute. Are you someone who follows the trend above?
Also Read: [QUIZ] On holiday to America or Australia, you are suited to holiday here
From museums to monuments, here are some of the top experiences around the globe to help you take your love of watches from hobby to passion.
Photo courtesy of the Clapham Clock Museum Photo courtesy of the Museum of Islamic Art
Most watch enthusiasts will make the obligatory pilgrimage to Switzerland, the Mecca of watchmaking, at some point in their lifetime. If you love a particular brand, you may plan a trip to tour the factory or visit the maker’s museum. But, what if you’re traveling to New Zealand, India, or Israel? What if you want to know the best watch destination right here in the States? Maybe you’re looking for something more interactive than a museum—like a hands-on experience building your own timepiece from scratch. There are loads of opportunities around the world for watch lovers to deepen their passion and knowledge beyond visiting brand museums. Here, we’ll explore seven unique travel destinations for watch enthusiasts.
Israel: Museum of Islamic Art
At first glance, you might consider something other than the Museum of Islamic Art in Jerusalem to be a horological destination. However, it’s home to a selection of rare clocks and watches from one of the foremost horological collectors and historians of the twentieth century, Sir David Lionel Salomons. Salomons has a particular interest in complicated watches built on advanced mechanical principles, and his collection reflects that. Among the 200 items are a wide array of horological objects, including 55 watches and clocks from Abraham-Louis Breguet. Salomons was one of Breguet’s most prolific collectors, so much so that he wrote a book on the esteemed watchmaker’s life and work entitled Breguet. Among the watches is perhaps one of the most significant pieces ever crafted by Breguet: watch No. 160 (WA 69), today known as the “Marie Antoinette.” This particular object took nearly 40 years to complete, featuring astonishing innovations, such as a calendar complication that adjusts to leap years, a thermometer, and the equation of time, among others.
The Marie Antoinette. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Islamic Art
Czech Republic: Olomouc Astronomical Clock
While many will travel to Olomouc to visit the Holy Trinity Column, its secular counterpart is the original gothic building of the city hall, which dates back to the fourteenth century. The centerpiece of the city hall building is a 500-year-old astronomical clock that’s one of the only heliocentric clocks in the world. Originally built sometime between the mid-1400s and early-1500s, the Olomouc Astronomical Clock displays the Earth and planets revolving around the Sun at the center of the universe. At the time, this defined the popular belief of geocentrism, which placed Earth at the center. Over nearly 600 years, the Olomouc Astronomical Clock has been reconstructed several times, with the latest update occurring in the 1950s by the artist Karel Svolinský. Svolinský is responsible for introducing the folklore motif of the Ride of the Kings at the top of the recess alongside various portrayals depicting characteristic work for each month of the year.
France: Atelier Du Bracelet Parisien
A more unconventional stop on your horological travels might include a bespoke maker like Atelier Du Bracelet Parisien. Just steps away from Place Vendôme in the heart of Paris, home to numerous watch boutiques and the Breguet Museum, you’ll find one of Europe’s premier custom strap makers. What initially appears as a modest workshop is home to every type of leather in every color you can imagine, including vegan options like cactus, grape, and pineapple. Atelier Du Bracelet Parisien is a small, family-owned company spanning two generations that has been operating for over two decades. It has been certified as a “Living Heritage Company” by the French state since its products are entirely handmade in the Paris outpost according to centuries-old techniques and traditions. Here, you can custom-build each and every element of your strap, from the thickness to the stitching and the tip shape to the keepers.
New Zealand: Clapham Clock Museum
Photo courtesy of the Clapham Clock Museum
Whangarei is New Zealand’s most northern city, made up mainly of rural land that gives way to the Bay of Islands. Thanks to its quaint charm and modest size, it’s the type of place where everyone knows your name, especially when you have a big personality like Archibald Clapham. Clapham moved from his home in Yorkshire, UK, to Whangarei in 1903. He quickly developed a reputation for his fun-loving personality and collection of over 400 horological objects, which included a vast range of timekeepers, from his bespoke pieces to more historically significant ones, like ancient water clocks. In 1961, Clapham sold his collection to the local Council, and a year later, they opened the Clapham Clock Museum in his honour. It’s now home to over 2100 clocks and timepieces, each carrying on Claphma’s unique spirit, making it one of the largest collections of horological instruments in the Southern Hemisphere.
India: Jantar Mantar
When you think of Jaipur, India, you might picture fine jewelry and luxury textiles. However, the Pink City is also home to a unique destination that attracts horological enthusiasts and architects, artists, and historians. Jantar Mantar comprises a collection of observatories, each with a specialized function for astronomical measurements, which date back to the beginning of the eighteenth century. The construction started in 1724 when Maharajah Sawaii Jai Singh II of Jaipur commissioned these five astronomical observatories to be built in northern India. At the time, most astronomical instruments were brass, but Maharajah Sawaii Jai Singh II wanted these structures to showcase locally sourced marble and stone. Among the observatories that make up Jantar Mantar is the world’s largest stone sundial, measuring over 88 feet. The Samrat Yantra or “Supreme Instrument” is not only aesthetically striking but also technically impressive. The dial can measure time with astonishing precision, boasting an accuracy of two seconds.
United States: Harvard University’s Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
In 1948, Harvard University established its Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments. Today, it’s grown to contain over 20,000 objects, making it one of the three largest university collections of its kind. Among the array of horological and astronomical instruments is the largest collection of sundials in North America. This gift from David P. Wheatland, class of 1922, includes ivory pocket sundials made in Nuremberg, Germany between 1575 and 1645.
Still, the most remarkable of the horological items found in the collection is Boston clockmaker Joseph Pope’s grand orrery. In it, you see the planets and moons of the planets as they were known at the time moving around the sun, turned by an elaborate set of gears. In addition, the exterior is decorated with wooden figures cast in brass by Paul Revere. The grand orrery is not just an incredible object within itself. It embodies the ambitions of scientists in the eighteenth century, and therefore, it is the perfect representation of what the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments has to offer.
Switzerland: Initium
We’d remiss not to include a stop in Switzerland on this watch enthusiast’s journey around the globe. However, instead of a more typical destination like a brand museum or factory, we’ve opted for a more unconventional one. At Initium, you have the opportunity to make your own Swiss watch alongside Master Watchmakers. Options are available for either a half-day or daylong experience. The daylong workshop is the most robust and immersive. It begins with coffee, croissants, and an introduction to watchmaking that includes disassembling and reassembling the heart of the watch: the movement. After a lunch break, it’s time to build your bespoke timepiece. No experience is required to participate, and workshop sizes are kept small to maintain a warm atmosphere and to guarantee a personal experience. You also have the option to fully customize the timepiece you build, making it a true personal staple of your collection.
