Preliminary data from the Macau government shows that during the first five days of the holiday, Macau saw 318,000 visitors, with over 180,000 coming from mainland China, an increase of 155% compared to the same period last year. Around 118,000 visitors were from Hong Kong, a growth of 2,700%. Casino revenues in Macau in January also benefited from this, rising significantly as a result. The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau announced on Wednesday that total gaming revenue in December increased by 82.5% year-on-year, reaching 11.6 billion Macau patacas. This is the first growth since February last year and the highest monthly revenue since January 2020.
However, compared to Macau, Hong Kong saw far fewer tourists. According to statistics from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, 30,406 passengers entered and exited Hong Kong on the first day of the year, with 18,635 passengers entering, accounting for about 37% of Macau’s numbers. This included 10,082 passengers from mainland China and 8,553 passengers from other countries. I attempted to explore the reasons for this disappointing signal for Hong Kong’s tourism industry through social media data.
Figure 1：Hong Kong shopping/food topics account for 50% of the total posts in January, while Macau accounts for 92% of the total posts.｜Source：TOCANAN
In early January, I analyzed Chinese social media discussions on the intentions of Chinese tourists to travel to Hong Kong. The data showed that in the last week of 2022, many tourists wanted to buy medicines that were not yet available in China. I added data from January for this column and included data on traveling to Macau for comparison.
Firstly, the number of posts on Hong Kong shopping and dining topics has been increasing, accounting for 50% of the total Hong Kong posts in January. In contrast, posts on vaccines, medications, and studying abroad declined significantly after the first week of 2023. However, Macau’s topics were more focused, with shopping and dining making up 92% of the total Macau posts in January.
Notably, during the two weeks of January 8 and 22, the number of posts discussing Macau’s shopping and dining was about 50% higher than Hong Kong during the same period, with 3,500 more posts. Macau successfully captured two strategic time points: two weeks before the Lunar New Year and the first week of the holiday. The former could generate interest among potential tourists, while the latter pushed them into action. Hong Kong lost ground during these two critical periods, putting it in a passive position.
Figure 2：Magical Tours of Macao attracts 6.15 million readers and 14,000 discussions｜ Source：TOCANAN
Macau also successfully created new Lunar New Year-related topics to increase social media engagement. Macau’s Tourism Bureau partnered with Mango TV to launch a short video series called “Magical Tours of Macao” on Weibo. The first episode featured the Galaxy Diamond Lobby and the North Pavilion, while the second episode showcased Morpheus and the acclaimed Yulongxuan restaurant. It attracted 6.15 million views and 14,000 discussions. In contrast, Hong Kong continued to use its evergreen hashtag #HongKongWelcomesYou, garnering 7.83 million views but only 546 discussions. It’s essential to know that guiding popular topic discussions in social media promotion is crucial to increasing consumers’ purchasing intentions for products and services.
Another thing worth mentioning is that over the past two months, many mainland viewers have discussed attending BLACKPINK’s concert in Hong Kong, expressing great anticipation. However, after the concert, some audience members were very dissatisfied, and discussions turned negative. Criticisms included BLACKPINK’s attire, lack of synchronization in singing and dancing, and pitch issues. Jennie, in particular, was the target of criticism for her “slacking” performance, which was far from her European and American appearances. The topic of “Jennie slacking” even became a trending topic on Weibo, which could have a negative impact on Hong Kong hosting international concerts.
In conclusion, Macau strategically capitalized on the Lunar New Year holiday, attracting a large number of tourists, particularly from mainland China and Hong Kong. Social media played a significant role in promoting Macau as a destination, with focused discussions on shopping and dining, as well as successful collaborations with popular media channels. On the other hand, Hong Kong missed key strategic time points and failed to generate enough engagement on social media, which might have contributed to the lower visitor numbers. Additionally, negative discussions around international events, such as the BLACKPINK concert, could have further impacted Hong Kong’s image as a desirable tourist destination.
Book a meeting to let us know how we can help.
The Tocanan Advantage
Our insights stand out due to their:
-
- Accuracy: Our AI models are trained on vast, diverse datasets, ensuring insights of unparalleled precision.
- Relevance: Customized analysis that aligns perfectly with your specific business challenges and market dynamics.
- Actionability: Every insight comes with clear, implementable strategies to drive tangible business results.
Experience the Power of Unparalleled Insights: Book a Consultation
