You get what you pay for: redefining Macau’s image through value-driven quality tourism

U TM Comments is a partnership between Macau News Agency and Macao University of Tourism

By Veronica, Lam Iok Keng

Assistant Professor, Macao University of Tourism

Online shopping has trained consumers to compare prices and chase deals. That habit now carries into travel. Many young people opt for budget trips. Influencers speak to audiences with tight wallets or a strong “value for money” mindset. Their message is simple: spend less, go further. They are not trying to be stingy. They just do not see the point in paying for what feels unnecessary.

Social media has also pushed travel content to two extremes. At one end are viral “zero-cost” guides. They chase clicks with minimum budgets and checklist sightseeing. At the other is performative luxury, for example, promoting premium resort experiences and fine dining. Both miss the large middle group: tourists who will pay, but only when the value is clear.

Budget travel was an understandable phase in the post-pandemic recovery. It created momentum and drew younger visitors back. This has resulted in a familiar paradox for destinations. Visitor numbers look healthy, yet spending lags. While Macau welcomes tourists with all different budget types, at the same time, without direction this paradox can slide into a cycle of low prices and poor quality. The basic truth still applies: you get what you pay for. Over time, the combination of high visitor numbers and low spending chips away at visitor satisfaction, weakens word-of-mouth, and makes sustainable growth harder.

In fact, Macau’s position in the Greater Bay Area is stronger than its current image suggests. It is China’s designated World Centre for Tourism and Leisure. The numbers also point to where real value sits. The Statistics and Census Service (2025) reports that visitors’ total non-gaming spend rose by 6.3 per cent year on year to MOP 80.12 billion.

Overnight visitors accounted for MOP 63.31 billion, a 1.6 per cent increase, while same day visitors spent MOP 16.81 billion, up 28.9 per cent. Overnight visitors spent 4.7 times more than day-trippers. However, average non-gaming spending per visitor fell by 7.3 per cent, to around MOP 2,000. This suggests the budget travel pattern persisted across the year, despite overall growth in headline figures.

As quality experiences lift revenue and city image, Macau can reenforce its communications with tourists look for authenticity, creativity, and cultural depth. The city already delivers strong cultural and recreational value. Government-backed exhibitions and performances are often free, or priced within reach.

The Macao Government Tourism Office (2025) notes that visitors attending performances spent an average of MOP 4,161 each. Integrated resorts also remain major draws. Meanwhile, the city offers UNESCO World Heritage sites, comfort, and safety in a compact, walkable setting. The Historic Centre is ideal for “city walk” tourists. Compared with neighbouring cities, Macau feels calmer and relaxing. It has a distinctive East–West character and a genuinely welcoming community. These are not minor advantages. They are differentiators.

For too long, Macau has been reduced to glitz and gaming. With limited messaging around quality experiences for the leisure tourist market, value-minded tourists struggle to see what else is on offer. Promotion shapes demand, and demand shapes spending. What Macau lacks is not attractions and culture, but storytelling about products and experience that are worthy for the price.

To avoid the drawbacks that come with the viral social media of budget tourism, the city needs promotion that communicates products with cultural depth and emotional value. For a city that depends so heavily on tourism, clear communication matters. Delivering on those promises matters even more. Therefore, there is a need to invest in innovative products, strengthen service quality standards, and build links across sectors. Together, they determine resilience.

In the end, Macau’s tourism upgrade will not be measured by headcount alone. It will be measured by visitor satisfaction, local business vitality, and a stronger city image. If Macau can do that, it can convert volume into durable value.