Macao – Residents of dozens of cities across China will be able to apply for permits for leisure trips to Macao, the biggest step yet in reopening the world’s biggest casino market to tourism. No Asian economy is more dependent on visitors than Macao, which mostly draws them from mainland China.

Visitor numbers and casino takings have begun to slowly recover as China has allowed residents of nearby cities to travel to Macao. The permit application process is much slower than before the pandemic and can no longer be done online, however, so analysts aren’t expecting a big boost in visitors until mid-October, after China’s extended National Day break.