The 9th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo has been held to acclaim. The three-day expo admitted almost 24,000 spectators and saw 39 contracts signed. There were 4,974 business-to-business meetings and some 7.81 million views of livestreamed broadcasts.
The 9th MITE was held from 9 to 11 July at the Cotai Expo at The Venetian Macao, with 708 booths covering an area of 23,000 square metres. The expo welcomed 394 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions, including 106 local exhibitors, 265 exhibitors from Mainland China and Taiwan region, and 23 international exhibitors. Among the buyers, there were 339 in total, including 195 hosted buyers from the Mainland and 144 online buyers from across the world.
This year’s MITE featured five major highlights – “Cloud Series”, “Macao Street”, “City of Gastronomy”, “tourism + culture and creativity”, and “Distinctive Shops”. They were run under a hybrid online and offline format, incorporating “tourism +” elements that support members of the tourism and related industries to deepen exchange and cooperation and navigate business opportunities together.
Cloud Series delivers
A major highlight, the Cloud Series was enhanced to create a stronger synergy of online and offline exhibitions. The 14-day period gave ample time for exhibitors and buyers to tap into cooperation opportunities.
“Cloud B2B” rooms at the expo facilitated business matching online and offline. “Cloud Live Promotion” and “Cloud Live Broadcast” rooms permitted virtual exhibitors to connect with audiences through “Cloud Live Promotion” to showcase their destinations’ tourism resources.
“Cloud B2B” involved 52 exhibitors and 162 buyers for 412 online business-to-business meetings. Some 4,974 business-to-business meetings were conducted in two days on the site.
The 9th MITE facilitated online and offline signing of 39 contracts, involving 44 enterprises.
“Cloud Live Broadcast” saw more than 41 hours of livestreamed content created by two Mainland key opinion leaders (KOLs) and six Macao KOLs. There were 35 on-site exhibitors featured, and there were more than 7.81 million views throughout the expo.
Additionally, 34 countries and regions participated in “Cloud Live Promotion” with 21 online promotion sessions during the three days, engaging 630 on-site spectators. The sessions were also live streamed at the event website.
Diverse major exhibitors
The expo teemed with a variety of captivating major exhibition zones, pavilions and booths to manifest the colourful glamour of “tourism +”.
The “Gastronomy Pavilion” gathered 18 local catering businesses to offer a diversity of Macao’s signature delicacies for the public, promoting Macao’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy (see box).
The zone of “Cultural and Creative Shops” showcased “tourism + cultural and creative” products from Macao, whereas the “MAK MAK Pavilion” promoted and sold tourism products themed after Macao Tourism Mascot “MAK MAK”.
Arranged by the Macao SAR Government Economic and Technological Development Bureau, 20 local “Distinctive Shops” such as eateries, confectionaries and bakeries, souvenir shops, retailers and handicraft businesses joined the expo as exhibitors to manifest the unique colours of Macao’s community culture.
Exhibitors at the “Macao Street” and “Multi-destination Cooperation Pavilion” actively promoted Macao tourism products and multi-destination tourism products across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while the Macao Hotel Association lined up 53 member hotels and resorts at the mega special pavilion to showcase their hotel products and services.
A platform for Sino-Lusophone exchange
The Promotion Seminar of Tourism Products from Portuguese-speaking Countries was held to showcase tourism resources and products from Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe as well as Timor-Leste
The promotion of Sino-Portuguese exchange and cooperation in tourism delivered on Macao’s role as a platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.
At the opening ceremony on 9 July, Macao SAR Government Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, expressed that amid the prospect of unwavering commitment to pandemic control and prevention, the expo contributed to build a bridge across Macao, the Mainland and different parts of the world for tourism and related industries.
For more related information, please visit MITE’s official website at www.mitexpo.mo, WeChat and Facebook.
| MITE promotes smart tourism and “tourism + e-commerce” integration Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced the launch of a flagship store on a leading online travel agency website and mobile app at the 9th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE). In partnership with Chinese travel service platform Trip.com Group Ltd. (Ctrip), the MGTO flagship store connects more than 50 Macao tourism product suppliers and more than 10 local travel agencies in a bid to provide the best travel experience to tourists coming to the city. Popular tourism products in Macao are now available at MGTO’s flagship store, providing tickets for popular tourist attractions, accommodation, and customised tours. The store offers travel tips, from tourist hotspots to food recommendations, to provide useful information to attract more tourists to the city. MGTO also invited Ctrip to organise a workshop at the 9th MITE, to provide insights to the local travel trade on how to better use the Ctrip platform, to help expand further into the Mainland market and improve marketing outcomes. This year’s MITE also featured smart tourism exhibit booths, allowing visitors to discover and experience smart tourism projects and services through on-site displays. The smart tourism exhibit booths included Gaode Map, FlyZoo Hotel and Alibaba Cloud, all of which belong to Alibaba Group, covering applications for visitors before, during and after their trip. The Macao Hotel Association and Alibaba also co-hosted seminars during the three-day event to discuss innovation in the hospitality sector, and the introduction of high-tech in hotels. |
| Four Chinese “Cities of Gastronomy” showcase culinary delights in Macao The 9th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) featured again the “Gastronomy Pavilion”, where local catering businesses offered a variety of signature local delicacies, showcasing Macao’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. During the event, the organisers invited 10 famed chefs from Chengdu, Shunde, Macao and Yangzhou – all UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy – to demonstrate their culinary skills, and share their expertise with spectators. In addition to the demonstration, promotional videos of each “Creative City of Gastronomy”, and presentations about the essence of each cuisine were also arranged during the three-day event. Baristas were also invited to demonstrate coffee roasting and brewing techniques, to promote a coffee culture. A total of 18 catering outlets took part in this year’s edition of the “Gastronomy Pavilion”, and offered a variety of Macao specialties to visitors, showcasing Macao’s status as a Creative City of Gastronomy. Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes officiated the launch ceremony of the “City of Gastronomy” culinary demonstration. She said 2021 marks the fourth anniversary of Macao gaining designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, adding that the Macao SAR Government continues to leverage gastronomy as an element of cultural exchange, revealing the city’s diverse cultural harmony. |
| Chinese KOL shares marketing tactics on how to gain followers The “Incubation Plan for Macao’s KOL in Tourism” launched on 11 July during the 9th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE). The programme aims to encourage Macao residents and the city’s travel trade to leverage social networks to spotlight Macao’s diverse tourism offerings. At the kick-off ceremony, a famous gastronomic key opinion leader (KOL) from Mainland China, An Qiujin, shared his marketing experience on how to attract followers and how to build a more engaged audience on social media platforms. A sharing session was held with the theme “The Secret of ‘PQ Cuisine” — Douyin Account with over 10M Followers”. Mr An shared insights on a number of marketing strategies, including how to produce short videos, live streaming skills, content creation, and filming techniques. The food KOL also shared his experience on how to analyse data from social media platforms in order to learn the viewing habits of the audience. The sharing session attracted about 150 participants. Mr An talked about his filming experience behind the scenes, and answered questions from the audience. The “Incubation Plan for Macao’s KOL in Tourism” was launched by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and coordinated by Macau Live Streaming Association. The highlights of the plan include the content creation training camp and trainee video competition. The training camp will be conducted in August, for up to 50 participants. |
The 9th MITE was held from 9 to 11 July 
The three-day expo admitted almost 24,000 spectators, and arranged 4,974 business-to-business meetings 
The Cloud Series created a stronger synergy of online and offline offerings during the expo 
The launch ceremony for MGTO’s flagship store on the Ctrip App 
Renowned chefs demonstrated their culinary skills during MITE 
Famous gastronomic KOL An Qiujin shared his marketing experiences with the audience at the 9th MITE