The “Power in Our Hands, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Programme - Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Tourism and Hospitality Chapters” was launched last month. The programme provides users in the travel trade with methods to conveniently learn sign language that conveys cultural tourism information about the cooperation zone, Macao and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a whole. Once they have followed the programme, learners can communicate more efficiently with deaf and hard of hearing people, thus contributing to the city’s accessibility as a quality travel destination and to the overall tourism development of both Hengqin and Macao.

The “Power in Our Hands Community eLearning Programme” was launched in 2019 to teach sign language to locals so that they could engage in daily conversations with deaf or hard of hearing tourists in Macao. Last year, the programme was expanded and the “Power in Our Hands, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Programme” was launched, which covers more about the GBA’s cultural tourism besides the basic knowledge of Macao Sign Language and Chinese National Sign Language. To date, the click-through rate of both programmes has exceeded 26,000. The eLearning Programme series was highlighted as a “Quality Training Course” in the “Construction of Quality Training Courses and Learning Projects of the Year 2021-2022”, organised by “Training Magazine” of Xinhua Daily Media Group.

The new update to the programme has been jointly put together by the Macao Government Tourism Office, MGM, Macau Deaf Association and Guangdong Deaf Association with the support of the Guangdong Province Sign Language Association. The launch ceremony was held on 26^th October. The “Symposium on Inclusive Tourism in GBA” was also held on the same day. In the symposium, four experts and scholars shared their perspectives and insights on the development of accessible tourism in the GBA with around 150 industry representatives.

Industry professionals and anyone who is interested in learning more can access the new e-learning resource here: https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo.