Mega Promotion ‘Experience Macao - Portugal’ a Major Success

Last month - in celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (Macao SAR) - the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam, led a delegation to Portugal, where an ‘Experience Macao - Portugal’ mega promotion was unveiled during Lisbon Travel Market 2019 (BLT) in Lisbon and Porto.

A video mapping show titled ‘Macao, a Legendary Journey’ kicked off proceedings at Praça do Comércio on the evening of 12^th March. The five-day video show digitally painted the façades of Praça do Comércio in a creative depiction of the history and stories of Macao, from its old legends to today, in a high impact display showcasing Macao to the public in Lisbon for an immersive experience of the city. On the same evening, a welcome dinner was hosted by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam, attended by local officials and media.

Lisbon Travel Market 2019 (BTL), one of Portugal’s most important tourism fairs, ran from 13^th to 17^th March, featuring, among the highlights, Macao as this year’s International Guest Destination of the event. MGTO participated in BTL with a booth themed ‘Experience Macao Your Own Style’ and the 20^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR, promoting the city’s diverse tourism assets, of which the city’s UNESCO listed heritage and Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy were foremost.

In addition, Macao tourism mascot MAK MAK made its first appearance in Portugal, greeting visitors  to the booth and offering Macao-themed souvenirs. Macao virtual reality experience games were another highlight of the booth, with Macao students in Portugal also participating in the promotion by demonstrating Chinese calligraphy, among other promotional activities.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau and Macau Artists Society, in collaboration with MGTO, displayed the works of more than 30 Macao artists on the same day as BTL at the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon in an exhibition which runs until October. Four street dance groups from Macao also performed on the BTL opening day as well as in four popular streets and plazas in the heart of Lisbon.

Porto - the second largest city in Portugal - was earmarked for the last stop of the ‘Experience Macao - Portugal’ mega promotion. In a collaboration of MGTO with the Fuhong Society of Macau and Porto City Hall, ‘Images of Macao - the Kingdom of 0.38mm’ opened in Porto on 15^th March, presenting 40 drawings of the talented young autistic artist Leong Ieng Wai, depicting some of the iconic sites of Macao such as districts of the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Macao, and busy city life.

The exhibition, which runs until 24^th April, was followed by a welcome dinner hosted by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government at Serralves Foundation, one of Portugal’s main contemporary arts centres, attended by local officials further strengthening the ties between both locations.

To demonstrate Macao’s glamour as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy MGTO invited chefs Antonieta Manhão (‘Neta’) and Carlos Cabral (‘Calito’) from Macanese Gastronomic Brotherhood to participate in the mega promotion, which they did by conducting cooking demonstrations for students of the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies.

Chef Neta also made a television appearance in a popular programme on the national TVi channel, where she presented live the preparation of a feast of Macanese delicacies and shared stories behind the different dishes along with the characteristics of Macanese gastronomy, part of Macao’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.