“Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” officially launched

A Macao tour programme called “Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” was officially launched in June. Macao residents can sign up for tours scheduled until 30 September at any travel agency under the umbrella of the project. Each participant will be entitled to a subsidy of MOP280 for every approved tour in which they participate, up to a maximum of two tours, i.e. a total per-person subsidy of MOP560.

The Macao SAR Government hopes the “Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” can lead to progressive resumption of tourism activities in Macao in parallel with the city’s scheme for economic recovery.

More than 55,000 people already had signed up to take part in the programme by far.

“Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” is coordinated by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), sponsored by the Macao Foundation, and undertaken by a task force formed by the Macau Travel Agency Association, the Association of Macao Tourist Agents and the Travel Industry Council of Macau. The task force is in charge of project management, as well as procurement, product development, pricing and quality management, among other tasks.

As the project gets underway, the task force is working with various travel agencies to coordinate the provision of resources such as coaches, drivers and tour guides, and making arrangements for catering – among other roles.

“Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” covers 15 itineraries in two categories: community-based tours (six itineraries) and leisure tours (nine itineraries). The fees include sightseeing, catering, tour guide service and insurance. The project is tailored to provide residents with economical travel plans and opportunities to become familiar with the latest developments in Macao communities and tourism products.

To support small- and medium-sized enterprises in Macao, holders of the Macao SAR Permanent Resident Identity Card or the Macao SAR Non-Permanent Resident Identity Card can opt for either community-based tours or leisure tours for their first participation. For their second participation, they must choose a tour in the other category, in order to enjoy the full subsidy available to each resident.

For each of the tours joined, each participant will be subsidised MOP280. After completion of both tours, residents can still take other tours in either category, for the full price and at their expense. Non-residents can also join the tours, upon paying the full fee of the tours.

To cater to participants with special needs, community organisations, schools and other institutions are welcome to contact the task force for coordination of tour applications. For enquiries and applications, interested parties should contact the travel agencies taking part in the “Macao Ready Go! Local Tours” programme at 83963052 or info@lovemacau.org.

MGTO has established a specific monitoring mechanism for “Macao Ready Go! Local Tours”, to ensure appropriate use of public funds and prevent irregularities. The Office will collect relevant data about the project to assess its effectiveness, which will serve as reference for formulation of tourism promotional strategies and tour route design in the future.