The Macau Metro Monitor, February 19, 2013
TAIWAN'S FIRST CASINO MAY BE READY BY 2017: GOVT Macau Business
According to Taiwan's minister of Transportation and Communications, Yeh Kuang-shih, Taiwan’s first casino resort could be completed by the end of 2017. Yeh said the government has since been working on law amendments and other regulations in order to go ahead with the establishment of a casino resort in Matsu, the China Post newspaper reports. He added that if the amendments pass without delay and the construction process runs smoothly, Taiwan’s first casino resort will be ready in 2017.
SANDS CHINA REPORTS RECORD VISITOR FIGURES FOR CNY Macau Business
Sands China Ltd properties welcomed a record number of visitors during the first week of the Lunar New Year, with 1.7 million visits from February 10 to 16 to its four Macau properties. The Venetian Macao set its all-time record for visitation on the fourth day of the New Year, with almost 140,000 visits, according to Sands China. “Sands China’s over 9,000 hotel rooms were at or near full capacity almost the entire week,” Gunther Hatt, executive vice president of operations at Venetian Macau.
PACKAGE TOURS AND HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE FOR DECEMBER 2012 DSEC
Visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 8.8% YoY to 887,282 in December 2012. Visitors from Mainland China (650,389) increased by 10.6%, with 255,780 coming from Guangdong Province; those from Taiwan (62,856) and the Republic of Korea (50,640) increased by 25.4% and 66.6% respectively. On the contrary, visitors from Hong Kong (31,839) decreased by 25.4%. For 2012, visitors in package tours reached 9,122,332 (32.5% of total visitor arrivals), up by 21.0% YoY.
There were 100 hotels and guesthouses operating at the end of December 2012, providing 26,069 rooms, an increase of 3,713 (+16.6% YoY), of which guest rooms of 5-star hotels accounted for 63.8%. In December 2012, the hotels and guesthouses received 898,857 guests, up by 9.6% YoY; the average length of stay decreased by 0.09 night to 1.4 nights.
SUCCESS UNIVERSE RAISES STAKE IN PONTE 16 CASINO HOTEL Macau Business
Hong Kong-listed Success Universe Group Ltd announced that its indirect, non-wholly owned subsidiary Golden Sun Profits Ltd had received a notice from Maruhan Corp. The notice is in respect to the exercise of the Maruhan’s option to require Golden Sun to purchase its entire 10.2% equity interest in World Fortune Ltd, and the entire amount of the shareholder’s loans provided by Maruhan to World Fortune.
World Fortune is principally engaged in the holding of 49% equity interest in Pier 16 -
Property Development Ltd, which owns and operates casino hotel Ponte 16. The remaining 51% is controlled by SJM Holdings Ltd. Maruhan is a leading company in the pachinko industry in Japan.
The maximum and minimum option purchase prices are about HK$325 million (US$41.9 million) and HK$195 million,
but the price has not been determined at this stage, Success Universe said in a stock filing. After the deal is completed, Success Universe will have full control of World Fortune. No reason for Maruhan’s decision was disclosed. The company bought its indirect stake in Ponte 16 in 2007.
CHINA DEVELOPERS FALL ON PROPERTY CURB CONCERNS: SHANGHAI MOVE Bloomberg
According to China Business News, China may introduce more policies to curb property prices before or after the National People’s Congress annual session next month, as several cities tightened credits of housing provident fund loans. Home sales in China’s 10 biggest cities almost quadrupled to 8.5 million square meters (91.5 million square feet) in the first five weeks from last year, property data and consulting firm China Real Estate Information Corp. said in an e-mailed statement today.