Tourists flock the streets nearby the Ruins of St Paul's in Macao on Sept 30, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

HONG KONG - Hundreds of thousands of visitors have flocked to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao SAR since Sept 29, data shows as the Chinese mainland wraps up its Golden Week holiday.

In the world's biggest gambling hub of Macao, about 900,000 visitors swarmed cobblestoned streets, many to punt in dozens of glitzy casinos, while others took selfie photographs at historic spots such as Senado Square.

During the eight-day national holiday, which runs until Friday, the number of daily visitors has surged more than five times from last year, taking hotel occupancy rates beyond 90 percent, executives said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Mass gaming revenues IN Macao have bounced back to pre-COVID levels, however, analysts said, citing a recovery of more than 100 percent, although earnings in the coveted "big-whale" VIP category was an estimated 15 percent of before

In a statement, the Macao SAR government said, "The tourism bureau has urged hotel industry venues to optimize measures to cope with peak passenger flow." Adding staff, shuttle buses and check-in counters are among such steps.

Mainland visitors constitute about 80 percent of visitors to Macao, which has a population of about 700,000 and is the only place on the mainland where casino gambling is legal.

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Mass gaming revenues have bounced back to pre-COVID levels, however, analysts said, citing a recovery of more than 100 percent, although earnings in the coveted "big-whale" VIP category was an estimated 15 percent of before.

"Things appear pretty in-line with our expectations of 100 percent plus recovery in mass gross gaming revenue," said D S Kim, an analyst at J.P. Morgan in Hong Kong, comparing with 2019.

The National Day fireworks display lights up the night sky of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, on Oct 1, 2023. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

In nearby Hong Kong SAR, about 1 million visitors had descended on the financial hub over the period from Sept 29 to Wednesday, during which 1.4 million residents left, immigration data shows.

Retailers said there was a 30 percent increase in foot traffic but sales were similar to a normal weekend, media reported.

Before 2019, long queues were common during the holiday period outside luxury stores in the HKSAR, long seen as one of the world's top shopping destinations.

Tourists from the mainland are the main driver of Hong Kong's branded retail and luxury goods market.

Since the pandemic, however, many have changed their pattern of spending, opting for inexpensive dining and activities such as hiking or swimming at the city's many beaches.

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Despite a good flow of visitors, growth in business was not as high as the foot traffic, said Annie Yau Tse, chairwoman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association.

About half the units are now vacant on prominent Hong Kong shopping streets that had attracted 56 million visitors in the days before the pandemic in 2019, real estate companies say.