A total of 1.8 million tourists who traveled in groups visited Macao in the first three quarters, marking a 74.5 percent increase as compared with the same period of last year.

Figures released by the Macao Statistic and Census Bureau Thursday suggested that the number of travelers from Macao's three major source markets including China's mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan was all on rise.

The number of group tourists from Taiwan to Macao recorded an increase of 133.7 percent over the year-ago period to 27,892 in September, while 135,134 people came in travel groups from China's mainland, up 14.7 percent from the same month of last year.

Meanwhile, the number of Macao residents who joined outbound tourist groups in the first three quarters increased by 40.6 percent as compared with the same period of last year. The most popular outbound travel destinations are China's mainland, Taiwan and Thailand.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2004)