The local hospitality industry was the busiest in the world last year as the occupancy rate reached a new record high. December was also the best-ever month for package tours.

According to data released by the Statistics and Census Services, the average occupancy rate at hotels and guesthouses stood at 89.7 percent in December, up by two points year-on-year and a new monthly record.
The Christmas and New Year period helped to ensure that 2011 was also the best-ever year for the MSAR hotel business, with an occupancy rate of 84.1 percent, up from 79.3 percent in the previous year.

This was the highest figure for any territory or city in the world last year, according to data compiled by hospitality research firm STR. Macau hotels overtook neighbouring Singapore (83.9 percent) and US gaming capital Las Vegas (83.8 percent) to get the first spot in the ranking for the first time ever.