Uber is stepping up its cross-border and regional offerings ahead of the upcoming National Day Golden Week, cutting reservation lead times for its Hong Kong–Macau limousine service and rolling out a WeChat Mini Program targeting mainland Chinese travelers in Macau.
Speaking at a media luncheon on Tuesday, General Manager of Uber Hong Kong Estyn Chung Chi-ting announced that the required advance booking time for the platform’s Hong Kong–Macau Intercity Limousine service has been reduced from 24 hours to just eight hours.
Nearly 70 percent of riders on the cross-border limousine route originate from Hong Kong, with the remainder coming from international markets including the United States, India, Macau, and Australia.
The strategic upgrades come as Uber sees surging demand in Macau, driven largely by the city's concerts and mega-events. During the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, Hong Kong travelers accounted for over one-third of all Uber users in Macau, peaking at 37 percent on high-demand single-day period.
Hong Kong visitors have also emerged as the primary riders for Uber’s Meter Taxi service in Macau, which launched in February. Between February and August, Hong Kong riders made up 23 percent of total orders. Monthly completed trips for the service surged fivefold by July compared to its launch phase, while the number of active driver partners has crossed into four-digit territory.
The Uber Meter Taxi in Macau service is also popular with visitors from Taiwan, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
As for the Uber Mini Program within the WeChat mobile app, Chung said mainland visitors can now book taxis in Macau and pay through WeChat Pay, linked bank cards, or digital cash balances. He noted that although mainland travelers currently account for less than 10 percent of Uber users, their usage is growing rapidly.
“With peak travel seasons like the National Day Golden Week and the 73rd Macau Grand Prix fast approaching, our introduction of the WeChat Mini Program is designed to offer a more seamless and convenient experience for the vast number of mainland travelers,” Chung said.
Regarding the application for ride-hailing service licences in Hong Kong, Chung said the platform is actively preparing and all work is moving forward in accordance with government protocols, adding that the platform hopes to share positive updates by the end of the year.
