Aerial photo taken on July 25, 2020 shows a view of a footpath along the coast in Macao, south China. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

After Zhuhai city in South China's Guangdong Province took the lead in resuming travel passes to Macao Wednesday, searches for touring and shopping in Macao on online travel service platforms soared by 120 percent from the previous day. 

Trip.com told the Global Times Thursday that the number showed Chinese mainlanders' penchant to visit Macao, which has succeeded in controlling COVID-19.

"As the tourism in Macao recovers gradually, we remain optimistic about Macao's tourism market and will develop more cooperation and launch more sales," Steven Yuan, executive president of Global Shopping under Trip.com, told the Global Times. 

Macao is one of the top destinations for Chinese mainland tourists. In 2019, more than 39.4 million trips were made to Macao and more than 27 million were from the mainland, of whom, 45 percent came from Guangdong. 

Under the latest policy, Zhuhai residents with negative COVID-19 test results are exempt from 14-day quarantine after entering Macao. Media reported that local Zhuhai residents lined up to apply for the travel passes Wednesday. 

The resumption of travel pass issuance has brought good news for Macao's casinos which have suffered a deep slump in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Without Chinese mainland visitors, Macao's gambling revenue dived by more than 90 percent from last year. 

Macao's GDP, which relies heavily on tourism and casinos, plunged 49 percent in the first quarter. Even if casinos had reopened in February, travel disruptions meant tourists were unable to visit the city.