Chinese tourists keen on visiting more than one casino

The Macau Government wants to diversify the local economy away from gaming and attract more non-Mainland Chinese tourists.
However, a reduction in the number of Mainland Chinese visitors may not be good news for casino operators.
According to a study titled ‘An Analysis of Cultural Differences Effect on Tourist Behaviour in Macau’, published in the November edition of the International Journal of Marketing Studies, Chinese visitors play more than non-Chinese and like to visit more than one casino.
“Compared with Non-Chinese, Chinese tend to gamble more and to gamble for money in Macau”, the authors wrote. “Compared with other countries, Chinese more frequently gamble [throughout] the world”.
The study by Xi Li, Anwei Yi and Jian Ming Luo is the result of 250 questionnaires answered by tourists at the airport and ferry terminal who stayed in Macau for more than 24 hours.
“Chinese like to experience more than one casino; this result is supported by previous studies, that showed that most Chinese would like to visit three or more casinos during their travelling to Macau”, the authors say of their findings.
However, when it comes to betting, both Chinese and non-Chinese have moderate time slots, which is said to be related to the time they intend to spend in the territory and to their budget.
Better promotion of non-gaming
When it comes to non-gaming elements, the study, which focuses mainly on shows that include elements like girls dancing, points out that better promotion is required to attract non-Chinese visitors.
“Due to the long distance of travel, non-Chinese prefer to explore fresh elements in Macau. They are also facing the risk of language and culture conflicts, which make them more careful when consuming. An effective promotion of the shows is needed”, the study argues.
“Chinese like the shows more than non-Chinese. This can be explained because violent plays and bloody shows are strictly forbidden in Mainland China”, they explained.
When it comes to shopping and the F&B sector, Chinese clients also tend to consume more in terms of luxury items than other visitors, which encourages the authors to suggest the Macau market develop a model based on luxury products.
“Regarding the shopping and F&B factor, it is found that Chinese are more likely to choose luxury goods, have meals in luxury restaurants and shop in casino outlets, where the price is higher than non-casino places”, they highlight.