The Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme (QTSAS) awards for 2019 were presented by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) in December. Awardees included businesses in catering, the travel agency sector and, for the first time, retailing.
MGTO gave QTSAS “Star Merchant Awards” to 91 catering businesses and 12 travel agencies. Four caterers were also awarded QTSAS “Service Star Awards” in recognition of their remarkable service, while two travel agencies were given “Service Star Awards – Inbound Service”, and another two received “Service Star Awards – Outbound Service”.
Since the QTSAS began in 2014, there have been 281 catering businesses and 40 travel agencies that have claimed “Star Merchant Awards”.
MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said during the QTSAS Awards Gala Dinner that the purpose of the QTSAS was to set service standards for enterprises in the tourism industry and to help improve service. She remarked that the scheme also helped to recognise service quality in the tourism industry, adding that the QTSAS awards had already achieved wide recognition among tourism operators.
The QTSAS Awards Gala Dinner – for QTSAS awards to catering businesses and travel agencies – took place on 2 December. The event was attended by representatives from MGTO, the Consumer Council, and other tourism- and trade-related associations, among others.
The following day, MGTO presented QTSAS “Star Merchant Awards” to 166 shops in Macao. It was the first time the quality accreditation scheme included the retail sector, an initiative of a partnership between MGTO and the Consumer Council.
Expanding the QTSAS recognition scheme helps support one of the key objectives in the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan: the aim to “improve service quality and skills”.
“Star Merchant Awards” were presented to retailers in selected sectors, such as clothing and apparel, ornaments, tourism, souvenir food products, and food and beverage. Awardees had to have a grade of A-minus or higher under the Certified Shop Scheme, organised by the Consumer Council, and subsequently win the approval of the QTSAS judges.
A list of QTSAS award-winning businesses and further information about the scheme can be found at industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/en and the latest results of the Certified Shop Scheme are online at www.consumer.gov.mo.
MGTO officials and representatives of QTSAS award-winning businesses of the year 
Director Senna Fernandes encourages industry operators to optimize tourism services continuously 
QTSAS Awards Gala Dinner 2019