(Yicai Global) Jan. 2 -- The number of tourists visiting Macau rose to the highest ever last year, according to local authorities. 

The volume arrivals and departures also reached a record high, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing data from the special administrative region's authorities. 

More than 39.4 million tourists entered Macau, an increase of 10 percent from 2018. Most of them were from the mainland, followed by Hong Kong and Taiwan. After that on the list were South Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. 

Some 194 million people arrived at or left Macau, or 9 percent more than a year earlier. More than 13 million of them took the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to do so. The 55-kilometer sea bridge has become the second-largest entry point of the island region. 

Editor: Emmi Laine