China’s Macao welcomed a record 39.41 million tourist arrivals in 2025, according to data released on Saturday by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government’s Public Security Police Force.
Visitors from the Chinese mainland accounted for 72.4 percent of total arrivals.
Industry experts attributed the surge in visitor numbers to the continued expansion of mainland cities eligible for the Individual Visit Scheme to Hong Kong and Macao, as well as favorable policies, such as the “multiple-entry” and “one-trip-per-week” permits for travel to Macao.
Easier cross-border travel has further driven an increase in mainland tourists visiting the city.
The Macao SAR government has continued to integrate tourism with sports, culinary experiences, and exhibitions and conventions to attract more visitors.
Major events, such as the 15th National Games, jointly hosted by Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, and Macao in November, and the 72nd Macao Grand Prix, an annual international motorsport competition, have been key drivers for tourism growth. These events have enabled tourism stakeholders to diversify their offerings and provide richer, more varied experiences for travelers.
Macao welcomes record 39.41 million tourist arrivals in 2025: official data
The prices of some life-saving medicines have soared to levels that are unaffordable for ordinary people in Venezuela, as the United States has ramped up military presence in the Caribbean off Venezuela's coast, alongside escalating sanctions, blockades and military threats against the oil-rich South American nation since late August.
At a northeastern suburb in the capital city Caracas, locals can still purchase most of the commonly used medicines at a major supermarket, where some antibiotics have been sold out, and some first-aid medicines and supplies have become too costly for ordinary residents.
"I'm here mainly to buy antibiotics. I have problems with my lungs. But I can't get all I want, such as vancomycin," said a resident named Alfonso.
"(Recent tensions have affected) the supplies and prices of drugs. The prices of cancer drugs, insulin drugs and albumin are very high, and most patients here cannot afford them," said Giovanna Gonzalez, a pharmacist with the supermarket.
Around 90 percent of the raw materials for drugs in Venezuela rely on imports, and the country's medical equipment such as monitors and anesthesia machines are almost entirely dependent on overseas supplies.
Main international airlines suspended flights to and from Venezuela in November, and U.S. blockades have delayed many cargo ships for a month, with some refusing to dock in Venezuela for safety concerns.
"Venezuela has been caught in the complex humanitarian emergency declared by the World Health Organization for about 10 years. If the suspension of flights persists, relevant international companies will have to choose more difficult or longer transportation routes, which will further push up the already high prices of medicines and medical equipment in Venezuela, and the patients will pay more money," said Huniades Urbina-Medina, president of the National Academy of Medicine of Venezuela.
Venezuela's medicine prices soar to unaffordable level amid US blockades
