The “Stay, Dine and See Macao” programme continues until 31st August with a string of local tours and hotel staycations. The programme offers 15 itineraries including “leisure”, “kids and families”, “exploration”, “ferry ride” and a new self-styled itinerary for participants to experience Macao in any way they want.

Every Macao resident is entitled to a maximum of MOP280 to subsidise their participation in the local tours, including a MOP100 dining card (which is valid for some of the itineraries). Macao residents are also granted a subsidy of MOP200 for a hotel staycation, with the possibility of the cost of each hotel room being subsidised up to a maximum of two residents or MOP400. Interested individuals can sign up for local tours and hotel staycations through participating travel agencies or at the information counters that have been specially set up in the six participating local hotels and integrated resorts.

The programme has retained popular itineraries such as the “Experience Macao by Land, Sea and Air” tour while also weaving together popular attractions and activities from past itineraries into new ones for this year, such as tours around the Nossa Senhora Village of Ká Hó, the Macao Grand Prix Museum, a VR experience/encounter with celebrities and ZIPCITY. New elements have also been added into the programme to enhance the itineraries, such as a maritime tour between Barra Pier and Coloane Pier, a new movie at the Macao Science Center’s Planetarium and a narrative film about Macao’s history.

Residents can also liaise with designated travel agencies and tailor their own itineraries with their favourite attractions and activities. The number of participants per self-styled tour group can be four, 10, 30 or more. Each personalised itinerary must include two travel attractions or more. The duration of the tour must last at least five hours. Participants can enjoy their own personalised itineraries at any time until March.

Participants of the “Stay, Dine and See Macao” programme must wear facemasks, have their temperatures checked, scan the venue codes and present their Macao Health Code in “green”. Anyone with a “red” or “yellow” Macao Health Code is not allowed to participate in the local tours. For more details, please visit the designated website at: www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/article/subsidies/macao-tour-hotel.

Last year, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) organised a variety of mega events and activities, launched special travel offers and unveiled a comprehensive range of online and offline promotions to brand Macao as a safe and quality destination. The total visitor arrivals neared 7.71 million in 2021, a year-on-year rise of 30.7%.

This year, to coincide with three major strategies, MGTO will strive to increase the amount of source markets where visitors hail from to help push forward the city’s recovery in terms of tourism and to stimulate its economy as a result. Plans include enhancing online and offline promotions, deepening the cross-sector integration of “tourism +” and fostering quality tourism development, deepening regional cooperation and enhancing destination glamour.

Events, special offers and promotions were a success

MGTO rolled out the “Macao Week” mega roadshow series in five Mainland China cities in 2021 to brand Macao as a safe and glamorous travel destination. In addition, MGTO held the Light Up Macao Drone Gala, the Macao Light Festival and the Tour Macao FUN Fair last year. Plus, MGTO supported 30 community tourism activities which deepened the cross-sector integration of “tourism +”, engaging over 6.44 million participants. Between its inauguration in June and the end of last year, the Macao Grand Prix Museum welcomed around 46,000 visitors. The “Stay, Dine and See Macao” project was also rolled out to encourage locals to experience Macao like visitors, to stimulate the local economy and to support the city’s tourism industry. The Macao Highlight Tours, which were tailored for visitors, was also launched.

There were some significant increases in tourism rates in Macao last year. For instance, nearly 3.7 million visitors stayed in the city overnight, which was a 31% increase year-on-year. The average length of stay for those who stayed overnight was 3.2 days, which was a year-on-year rise of 0.4 days. The Statistics and Census Service figures also indicated that local hotels welcomed around 6.62 million overnight guests last year, which was up by 71% year-in-year. Hotel average occupancy rates were at 50%, which was a year-on-year increase of 21.4 percentage points.

Three major strategies in 2022 to bring in more visitors and stimulate the economy

MGTO will orientate its efforts around three major strategies this year in a bid to spur the city’s tourism revival and to stimulate its community economy.

1. Strengthen online and offline promotions

This year, MGTO will continue to strengthen the synergy of online-offline promotions to raise Macao’s profile as a safe and quality destination via various channels. The “Macao Week” mega roadshow series and seminars on tourism and MICE in Mainland cities which are major contributors of visitors to Macao will be organised. Besides, an array of roadshows and showcases will also be organised in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to spotlight Macao as a travel destination from diverse angles. Moreover, the development of Macao travel-themed pages on more e-commerce platforms will be explored and a series of special travel offers for Mainland visitors will be launched. Plus, depending on the recovery progress of the international market, preferential measures for sea transportation and cross-border buses to Macao will be introduced alongside the provision of local half-day tours and other special offers to overseas visitors staying in Macao’s hotels.

Also, the “Stay, Dine and See Macao” project will continue until the end of August. Under safe travel conditions, the Parade for Celebration of Chinese New Year, the Light Up Macao Drone Gala and the Macao Light Festival, the Macau Cruise among other events will continue with new elements. MGTO will also present the specialised subsidy programmes for the “Development of community tourism and economy”, “Gastronomic culture promotion” and “Maritime tourism” to stimulate community tourism and economic development.

2. Deepen cross-sector integration of “tourism +”

There will be promotion of Macao’s development towards diversification through innovations that include “tourism + MICE”, “tourism + sports”, “tourism + e-commerce” and “tourism + culture and creativity”. Plus, capitalising on Macao’s calling cards - The Historic Centre of Macao and as a Creative City of Gastronomy to raise Macao’s profile. Carrying out precision marketing in parallel with the calendar of various festivals and events to draw visitors to Macao for travel and spending.

Also, there will be the implementation of the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan to enrich the dynamic of the city as a world centre of tourism and leisure. The implementation method of the Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme for the food and beverage sector will also be reviewed to enhance the service quality of the tourism and catering industries in Macao and to boost the glamour of catering businesses in the communities. Plus, the legislative work will be followed up on and there will be amendments to relevant laws to optimise the conditions for tourism development and to safeguard Macao’s image as a healthy, safe and quality destination.

3. Deepen regional cooperation to enhance destination glamour

Co-operating with the tourism department and industry in Hengqin to jointly explore more itineraries. Promoting island tours, traditional Chinese medicine wellness tours as well as distinctive tour itineraries in Hengqin and Macao. In addition, inviting Hengqin’s tourism departments and institutions to arrange for participation of performance teams in iconic mega events in Macao.

Also, there will be partnering with mega online travel platforms in the launch of multi-destination themed travel products, as well as jointly promoting the Greater Bay Area’s tourism products and tourism resources such as food and cultural itineraries, heritage and island tours to brand the Greater Bay Area as one regional destination and to expand the source of Mainland visitors beyond Guangdong Province to the Greater Bay Area.

For MGTO’s work review in 2021 and major work plan in 2022, please refer to MGTO’s annual work report in PowerPoint at: https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/file/pdf/2022_Annual_Report.pdf.

Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2022 has been unveiled last month with a total of 15 starred Macao restaurants, which is three fewer than last year. The Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) Educational Restaurant has maintained the Michelin Green Star distinction this year, after being the first establishment in Macao to win this honour on last edition.

The restaurants Jade Dragon, Robuchon au Dôme and The Eight maintained their three stars distinctions. On the two-starred restaurants category there are five (one less than last year): Alain Ducasse at Morpheus, Feng Wei Ju, Mizumi, Sichuan Moon and Wing Lei. For the one-starred restaurants category the guide includes seven (a decrease of two from last year): Lai Heen, 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA, Pearl Dragon (Macao), The Kitchen, Wing Lei Palace, Yang and Zi Yat Heen.

Besides, on the Bib Gourmand selection, which covers the venues that offer a value-for-money gourmet experience for less than MOP400 in Macao, seven restaurants make up the selection: Chan Seng Kei, Cheong Kei, Din Tai Fung (City Of Dreams), Lok Kei Noodles, IFTM Educational Restaurant, Lou Kei (Fai Chi Kei) and O Castiço.

Also, there are 20 eateries with the Michelin Plate distinction (five fewer than last year), including A Lorcha, Banza, Beijing Kitchen, Bi Ying, Espaço Lisboa, Five Foot Road, Golden Flower, Il Teatro, Imperial Court, Lung Wah Tea House, Manuel Cozinha Portuguesa, Naam, Ngao Kei Ka Lei Chon (Macao), 99 Noodles (Macao), Tenmasa, Terrazza, the Ritz-Carlton Café, Yamazato, Yi, and the newly listed Vista 38. While eight establishments were included on the Michelin Plate street food selection (one less than last year), namely Ving Kei (Macao), Yi Shun (Macao), Chong Shing, Kika, Mok Yee Kei, Leong Heng Kei, Lord Stow’s Bakery (Rua do Tassara) and Fong Kei.

MGM China Holdings Limited joined hands with two local high-tech enterprises last December to improve its properties’ hotel and marketing operations through a series of digital enhancements.

MGM signed a strategic co-operation framework agreement with Pachira Enterprises Limited to provide guests with a more convenient and quality entertainment experience through a set of technological upgrades. The upgrades include an automated room reservation service utilising AI-powered voice agents, a smart dial-in and dial-out system and smart marketing.

In addition, the company set up another collaboration with DigitalBay, a Macao digital marketing SME founded by a young entrepreneur. Under the collaboration, the “MGM Room Service Mini Programme” will be integrated with DigitalBay’s latest WeChat community marketing SaaS product “Interactive Marketing Cloud,” aiming to enhance MGM’s digital marketing offering and bringing in more prospective customers.

New international art gallery called the Humarish Club opened in Lisboeta Macau on 25th December, 2021. The gallery was jointly founded by the local cultural and creative enterprise Chiu Yeng Culture and the HWAS Art gallery from Mainland China. It is committed to introducing excellent international artworks to the Macao market, as well as creating the artistic atmosphere of Macao that embodies both classicism and modernity to the world.

The Humarish Club is holding “The Journey Begins: From H853 to Contemporary Art” exhibition, which showcases pieces from some of the current most influential contemporary Chinese artists including Zhou Chunya, Ding Yi, Xue Song, Zheng Zaidong and Li Qiang, for public to experience the powerful charm of Chinese art, while artistic exchanges between Mainland China and Macao are promoted so that Macao can gradually build and become a world-class cultural and artistic exchange platform.

Another exhibition, “Chinese and International Pop-Up Art Alliance - Super Art Fair”, is also being held at Lisboeta Macau. It features around 200 artworks including contemporary art, avant-garde art, as well as limited edition of co-branded art pieces, showcasing the vitality and perspectives of China’s young generation of artists.

The two exhibitions are on display until 20th February.

In order to promote the innovation and development of gastronomic tourism, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Basque Culinary Center have jointly organised the Global Gastronomy Tourism Startup Competition for the third consecutive year. Until 28th February, startup businesses can submit their projects for three categories: New Technologies, Local Impact, Sustainability and Waste. All businesses in tourism industry are welcome to participate.

The New Technologies category is open to startups that are developing and promoting a project with a high technological component to provide solutions or new services related to the gastronomic tourism sector. The Local Impact category targets startups that are developing and promoting a project with a high component of transformation and social improvement in its area of implementation and that are attached to the gastronomic tourism sector. Finally, the Sustainability and Waste category is aimed at startups that are developing and promoting a project with a high component of sustainability and/or food waste management related to the impact generated by tourists.

The shortlist for the competition will be announced on 1st April and the winners will be announced in May. The winning startups will receive mentorship by the UNWTO and some of its top partners, tailored support for startups and investment opportunities. They will also become a part of the UNWTO Innovation Network and will be offered scholarship opportunities for the Tourism Online Academy.

For more details of the competition, please visit the UNWTO website at: www.unwto.org/3rd-global-gastronomy-tourism-startup-competition.