More cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) will be visited by the “Experience Macao, Unlimited” caravan roadshow tour this month and beyond after it journeyed across the GBA and visited the cities of Zhuhai and Zhongshan in August and September. In preparation for the resume of package tours, the roadshow is to be joined by a Macao tourism product presentation seminar and mini mart on its upcoming stop in mid-November in Shenzhen, with more cities in GBA set to follow. Other GBA cities promotions slated to be conducted this and next year in time slots still to be confirmed include Guangzhou, Jiangmen, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Dongguan and Huizhou.

Organised by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the roadshow aims to attract more residents in GBA cities to travel to Macao and experience the city. Featuring a spectacular caravan at its heart which is used as a stage for performances and audience interaction, the roadshow covers Macao’s festival events, gastronomy, sports, wedding photography, travel photography and elements of its leisure tourism offerings. The on-site outdoor interactive zone includes themed backdrops for check-ins on social media, a graffiti wall, an interactive exhibition gallery, a game booth, a parent-child workshop and a 3D mapping show. The six major integrated tourism enterprises from Macao also run promotional booths at all of the roadshows and online travel agencies sell tourism packages and other special offers on site at each destination.

In addition, in tandem with the roadshow MGTO also organises a Macao tourism product presentation seminar and mini mart in each city to introduce the advantages of Macao’s tourism industry and to establish a platform for participants to exchange and communicate to promote the destination and boost targeted business contacts between travel trade to facilitate the return of package tours.

MGTO is committed to promoting the abundant “tourism+” elements of Macao, combining offline activities and online campaigns to enable residents of the Mainland to experience the many different features of Macao and to attract visitors from across the GBA to visit the city so as to boost its tourism and economic recovery.

Three new itineraries have been added to the “Stay, Dine and See Macao” project for a limited period. In conjunction with the festivals and events being held in the city throughout this month, the project specially added the Macau Food Festival, the Macau Grand Prix and the 2022 Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair themed itineraries, all of which highlight the city’s “tourism +” appeal.

New itineraries available for a limited period

The 2022 Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair itinerary will only be on offer to residents between 11^th and 13^th November. Participants will visit the fair, which is organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province. They will then experience the new Guia Hill Pedestrian Tunnel and explore the ancient architectural complex in Nossa Senhora de Ká Hó.

The Experience the 69^th Macau Grand Prix itinerary is exclusively on 17^th and 18^th November. The itinerary includes experiencing the exciting atmosphere of the city’s Lisboa Bend, tasting Macao’s local cuisine and taking a tour of Taipa on the Macao Light Rapid Transit.

During the Macau Food Festival, the last of the three themed itineraries will be on offer between 21^st November and 4^th December. It takes participants to the festival at Sai Van Lake Square to enjoy its array of gastronomic delights before climbing 223 metres up the iconic Macau Tower and witnessing the beautiful sunset from the tower’s famous Observation Deck.

For details on all of the local “Stay, Dine and See Macao” tour itineraries, hotels and travel agencies, please visit www.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/article/subsidies/macao-tour-hotel.

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) will accept applications for its three 2023 Specific Financial Support Programmes between 11^th November and 21^st December. Non-profit associations can apply for funding under the “Community Economic Tourism Development”, “Food and Culture Promotion” and “Maritime Tourism” programmes. Applications must be made via the Macao One Account.

The purpose of the Specific Financial Support Programme is to encourage and support non-profit associations legally established in Macao to coordinate and carry out diversified tourism activities and projects to promote community tourism and economic development. The “Community Economic Tourism Development” programme aims to encourage associations to make good use of the Macao community’s cultural, historical and tourism-related resources, as well as signature events, to enhance the elements of tourism in community areas so that visitors are attracted to this areas of the city. The “Food and Culture Promotion” programme aims to see a combination of tourism, gastronomy and creativity, and the promotion of Macao’s brand as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. The “Maritime Tourism” programme encourages the use of Macao’s coastal resources, aquatic treks and more, to create new maritime tourism projects. More details on all three programmes and how to apply for funding can be found at www.gov.mo/en/services/ps-1660.

In addition, MGTO received a total of 64 applications for the above three programmes in 2022. It eventually approved 30 of the applications. Twenty of those projects fell under the “Community Economic Tourism Development” programme, five of them were under the “Food and Culture Promotion” programme and the remaining five were under the “Maritime Tourism” category. Those 30 projects are being implemented between 1^st March this year and 28^th February next year.

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.

Macao welcomed around 182,000 visitors - of which almost 90% (163,000 people) travelled from the Mainland - over the seven-day National Day Holiday period between 1^st and 7^th October. Visitors had been encouraged by the favourable border measures between the city and the Mainland, alongside Macao Government Tourism Office’s (MGTO) tailored promotional campaign and an array of special offers that awaited the tourists.

During the National Day Holiday, Macao’s average daily visitor arrivals hit 26,000 - that’s 32.8% more than the previous month’s average daily figure. There were more than 37,000 visitor arrivals on 1^st October alone, which was the second highest single day record for arrivals so far in 2022. The average local hotel occupancy rate also reached 66.7% - 28.1 percentage points more than September’s occupancy rate - with the rate on 2^nd October hitting 81.8%, which was the highest occupancy reported during the seven-day holiday.

The amount of tourists who visited Macao over the National Day Holiday exceeded MGTO’s expectations, suggesting a “gradual restoration” of travellers’ confidence in the city. It is expected that visitor arrival figures will continue to grow, especially with four provinces and one municipality on the Mainland resuming the electronic issuance of travel permits to Macao, followed by gradual resumption of group travel to the city.

A new art space, The Showroom, has opened at the City of Dreams on 28^th October. City of Dreams has collaborated with Forward Fashion (International) Holdings Company Limited, to launch on the same day Artelli, an immersive multidimensional space at The Showroom where exhibitions from renowned artists Satoru KOIZUMI and Joshua Vides where unveiled at the opening.

The Showroom covers more than 17,000 square feet over two levels and has been inspired by the City of Dreams logo. Its exterior design boasts circular windows that bring in natural light to enrich the atmosphere across the space, making it appear transparent at night, exposing what’s going on inside the space with an incredible visual experience.

Artelli at The Showroom opens up a new experience that combines artistic creations with commercial elements, infusing art with brands to establish a luxurious immersive art experience. It is intended that in the future, the space will join forces with top international artists and brand designers to launch exclusive Artelli debut collections. The name “Artelli” itself is derived from the words ‘art’ and ‘intelligence’, where art and intelligent technology meets. Designed by world-renowned French architecture and interior design group Malherbe Paris, the new space adopts pure white tones throughout, crafting a natural medium in its interior - which boasts really high ceilings, an ‘unprecedented visual experience’ and futuristic technology - to cater to all exceptional works of art.

An Augmented Reality (AR) interactive experience and giant video wall displays have also been incorporated into the new space to create an immersive multidimensional art experience for all. There are high-end art projects, display art installations, digital art, sketches, behind-the-scenes tours of the art pieces and limited-edition items, as well as art activities for visitors, available in the space.

Two exclusive exhibitions at the grand opening

At the grand opening of Artelli at The Showroom, two exclusive exhibitions were revealed. The space teamed up with internationally renowned Japanese artists Satoru KOIZUMI and Joshua Vides to present both exhibitions - the Satoru KOIZUMI Disney Collection Exhibition Debut in Macao and the Joshua Vides Buzz Lightyear Collection Exhibition Debut in Macao. Both exhibitions are supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

The Satoru KOIZUMI Disney Collection Exhibition Debut in Macao features the artist’s four-metre tall “Mickey” and 1.5-metre tall “Lotso” wood sculptures alongside eight exhibition-exclusive hand-carved wood sculptures that are based on classic Disney characters. There are also original sketches at the exhibition and outside there are five-metre giant “Mickey” and “Lotso” sculptures who are looking out over the Cotai Strip.

The Joshua Vides Buzz Lightyear Collection Exhibition Debut in Macao features black-and-white pen painting reinterpretations of the iconic “Buzz Lightyear” character by the California-based artist who’s known for his contemporary style of black-and-white accented objects and drawings. A limited edition Black and White Buzz Lightyear 30cm Version is available exclusively at Artelli. Both exhibitions are open until 31^st December.

The 2022 MGS Summit takes place on 16^th November. The full-day summit - which is exclusively held online - provides a unique chance for its attendees to learn about what’s happening in Macao and Southeast Asia’s gaming and entertainment industry as the region maps a path forward from COVID-19.

This year’s theme is “A NEW E.R.A - Entertainment, Renovation, Alignment”. Under the E.R.A. acronym, “Entertainment” pays reference to the core concept of the global gaming industry while “Renovation” alludes to the need for operators and manufacturers to evolve amid a changing world. Finally, “Alignment” discusses the need for industry representatives to work together throughout the global supply chain in ensuring the industry continues to thrive. The summit is set to discuss the development of Macao’s entertainment, technology and tourism industries in the future - as well as the changing landscape of these industries - as policies, the market and the post-pandemic world all continue to evolve.

The 2022 MGS Summit sets up an online interaction and exchange platform to invite industry representatives from Macao and the surrounding regions to take part and discuss six topics to explore the future of entertainment and diversification of the industry, namely: “Macao’s Gaming Industry in a New Era”, “Technological Development of Macao’s Gaming Equipment Manufacturing”, “How to achieve a win-win situation for the industry under the Diversified Concept”, “The Digital Future - Internet, Currency and Beyond”, “Looking at Hengqin: Policy, Finance and Real Industries” and “Expanding the Market: What’s Happening in Other Regions in Asia”.

MGS Summit 2022 is free for all online participants. Those interested can register and join the event at https://mgs.vfairs.com/en/registration.

The MGS Summit was first held in 2013. It became exclusively online last year due to the pandemic. This year’s summit is jointly organised by the Macau Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association (MGEMA), the Nam Kwong Culture and Creativity Industry Co., Ltd. and the China National Machinery Industry International Co., Ltd. Plus, it is supported by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center, and the Education and Youth Development Bureau.

The final of the inaugural Macao competition of the prestigious Young Chef Young Waiter was successfully held last month. William Wang, culinary management trainee at the Wynn Macau, was crowned the Young Chef Macao winner and Mondass Velautham, supervisor at the Wynn Palace’s Pronto restaurant, became the Young Waiter Macao victor. The two local champions will represent Macao as they compete against their international counterparts at the World Young Chef Young Waiter 2022 final in Monaco on 15^th and 16^th November.

The local final and awards dinner were held at the Wynn Palace on 18^th October. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), said in a speech as the occasion: “To develop Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, it is key that we keep our younger generations engaged to join the industry, to learn about our city’s unique traditions, as well as to have the opportunity to add their personal touch, so that our dining scene continues to evolve in a diverse and sustainable way.”

“For that we shall continue to team up to create a sound environment to groom brilliant generations of chefs and waiters through competitions such as the Young Chef Young Waiter, alongside accreditation programs like the Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme, while also providing training opportunities and more. This can only be achieved with a collective effort, and the Macao Government Tourism Office appreciates the contribution of all stakeholders,” she pointed out.

Organised by the Macau Culinary Association and supported by MGTO, the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies and Wynn, the Young Chef Young Waiter Macao competition aims to enhance the professional knowledge and international competitiveness of young catering personnel in the city while also promoting Macao’s sustainable development as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. The Macao competition kicked off in June this year. After a series of contests, eight contestants were selected for the Macao final. For details, please refer to https://mtt.macaotourism.gov.mo/202210/en/posts/20221022.

The 69^th Macau Grand Prix will be held between 17^th and 20th November. This year’s series of events are made up of seven races, including the 54^th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, which is back after being postponed for the past two years due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also on the track over the four days are the Sands China Formula 4 Macau Grand Prix the Galaxy Entertainment Macau GT Cup, the Wynn Macau Guia Race, the MGM Macau Touring Car Cup, the Melco Greater Bay Area GT Cup and the SJM Macau Roadsport Challenge.

The Macau Grand Prix Organising Committee (MGPOC) hopes that this 2022 edition amply demonstrates that Macao is both a vibrant and a safe city to visit. The committee adds that the Grand Prix can assist different business sectors to accelerate economic recovery in the city.

Tickets available through multiple channels

Tickets to the Grand Prix are available in Macao, Hong Kong and the Mainland at a total of 17 sales points, as well as via websites, telephone, email and mobile app sales channels. Tickets can also be purchased on-site during the Grand Prix. Ticket prices range from MOP50 to MOP1,000 with special discounts available. In addition, the races are being either broadcast live or delayed by a variety of TV stations and broadcasting organisations that cover Macao, the Mainland and other countries and regions around the world.

Diverse activities to promote the Grand Prix atmosphere

As is customary every year at the Grand Prix, the MGPOC is also organising a number of activities and events surrounding the races on the track, including the 69th Macau Grand Prix Car Show and a sales booth for cultural and creative products with the theme of Grand Prix racing. Other events and activities include the 69^th Macau Grand Prix Photo Competition and a Grand Prix-themed creative art activity exhibition. Macao’s residents and visitors are encouraged to participate in these events so that the history and culture of the Grand Prix are further promoted.

The gift shop of the Macao Grand Prix Museum under the Macao Government Tourism Office’s management will also feature new commodities and special offers in tandem with the 69^th Macau Grand Prix. Museumgoers will have themed souvenirs designed by local creators along with special discounts and other new varieties of choices round the period of the city’s iconic motorsports event.

Strict pandemic prevention measures to be implemented

All car race drivers and motorcycle riders coming from outside Macao or Mainland China will have to follow the city’s COVID-19 prevention orientation, including undergo medical observation in a designated hotel. The MGPOC will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation during the Grand Prix and it will make arrangements for epidemic prevention in a timely manner in accordance with the relevant guidelines issued by the Health Bureau. Strict pandemic prevention measures will be implemented during the Grand Prix to ensure that the races are conducted under safe conditions.

For details of this year’s edition of the Macau Grand Prix, please visit the official website at www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo, download the relevant mobile application or follow the Macau Grand Prix’s Facebook page, WeChat and Weibo.

The 22^nd Macau Food Festival takes place between 18^th November and 4^th December at Sai Van Lake Square. Under the theme “Metaverse of Macao Food”, the event is expected to have more than 100 food stalls. An array of online festival games are also set to be part of the festival. Participants in the games can receive vouchers which can be redeemed at the food stalls.

The Food Festival’s organising committee hopes to promote Macao’s mission to both develop its status as a world centre of tourism and leisure and to consolidate its reputation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Plus, the festival aims to enhance brand awareness when it comes to the local food industry and to enrich Macao’s tourism products and experiences so as to attract more tourists to the city to help boost the local economy.

The festival is open between 5:00pm and 11:00pm every Monday to Thursday. From Friday to Sunday, it begins at 3:00pm and ends at 12:00 midnight. There are four free shuttle buses available during the festival.

The committee will strictly follow the guidelines that are issued by the Macao SAR Government’s Health Bureau. Staff and merchants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or show proof of a negative nucleic acid test result that has been issued within the past seven days. All customers must present a valid Macao health code, have their temperature taken and wear a mask when entering the venue. All visitors must only eat within the festival’s designated zones. The committee will adapt the festival programme should the pandemic situation in Macao change at any time.

The 22^nd Macau Food Festival is organised by the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, co-organised by the Macau Restaurant Workers’ Union, the Macau Journalists Association, the Macau Cuisine Association and the Associação de Empregados de Restaurantes e Padarias de Macau. It is subsidised by Macao Government Tourism Office and supported by the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Environmental Protection Bureau.

For more information, please visit the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao’s website at www.uafbmm.org.mo, as well as its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/UAFBMM) or WeChat account “澳門美食節 (Macau Food Festival)”.

The 4^th Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries is taking place in the city since 28^th October and until 18^th November. The festival this year adopts a “theme park” model whereby there’s a diverse array of events, activities and happenings across town that together create a Sino-Lusophone cultural immersion for residents and visitors to enjoy. Activities range from cultural exhibitions and performances staged by the city’s Portuguese community to traditional music and dance performances, as well as screenings of Chinese and Portuguese-speaking countries films.

The Encounter in Macao festival is running concurrently with the 25^th Lusofonia Festival, which this year celebrated its silver jubilee and took place between 28^th and 29^th October, after being cut one day shorter, as a prevention measure due to COVID-19 cases found in the city over the weekend, which also lead to adjustments in other events of the 4^th Encounter in Macao. Other activities and events happening as part of Encounter in Macao include the Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community, China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival and, for the first time this year, a Portuguese Picture Book Fair, among others. These activities aim to further increase the influence of Macao’s Chinese and Lusophone cultures, as well as helping to facilitate the city’s role as a cultural exchange centre between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Promotional video of this year’s Encounter in Macao festival

The first Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair and more

The first Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair was held on 28^th, 29^th and 31^st October at Carmo Hall, Taipa. It featured more than 500 picture books and children’s books in an array of different languages, especially Chinese and Portuguese. There were also talks, workshops and family reading sessions at the fair.

With the theme of All Rivers Flow to the Sea, the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival will present around 30 film productions between 4^th and 18^th November. The opening film, Hero, is directed by Sylvia Chang, Joan Chen and Shaohong Li, will be screened at Galaxy Cinemas on 4^th November, while the closing film in the festival, Pedro, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, is directed by Laís Bodanzky and will be screened at Cinematheque．Passion on 18^th November.

The Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community is held on 5^th and 6^th November. It will see six local Portuguese-speaking groups and one Mainland group performing traditional songs and dances at the Ruins of St Paul’s, Amizade Plaza, Taipa’s Carmo Fair and Largo Eduardo Marques in Coloane.

25^th Lusofonia Festival was a big success in October

The 25^th Lusofonia Festival concluded on 29^th October at the Taipa Houses, with Macanese culture, its gastronomy, and other traditional features, as the focus of this year’s jubilee edition. It also showcased the traditional distinctive booths of ten Portuguese-speaking communities in Macao, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Goa, Daman and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. They showcased their music, handicrafts, apparel, accessories, gastronomy and tourist information so that visitors could experience the long-standing festive traditions and diverse folk cultures of these different countries and regions. During this period, the Encounter in Macao also held the film screenings.

The 4^th Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries is held under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture. It is being organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and it’s supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, TDM - Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. and the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies. Please visit the website for more information: www.icm.gov.mo/FCP/2022/en.

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is calling on registered artistic troupes, schools, community organisations and institutions in Macao to submit their applications to participate in the Parade for Celebration of the Chinese New Year 2023 by 17^th November 2022. The parade, which is one of the city’s signature events organised every year by MGTO, is open to all interested groups and organisations across the city.

The Parade for Celebration of the Chinese New Year 2023 will be themed around the rabbit. By bringing out the characteristics of the rabbit, the event is set to convey good wishes for the diversification and prosperity of local industries as the economy moves forward with new momentum in the healthy and quality destination of Macao. Scheduled to be held 24^th and 28^th January 2023 (the 3^rd and 7^th day of Lunar New Year) respectively in the central and northern districts, the parade will feature a range of highlights such as the float parade, cultural and artistic performances as well as float exhibition, to celebrate this joyful time of the year with residents and visitors.

MGTO will appraise applicants and select the performance groups that will take part in the parade based upon the following aspects of their proposed performances: theme and idea, local distinctive elements, uniqueness and attractiveness and relevance to the event. Each particular group’s performance experience will also be taken into account.

Recruited groups will participate in the float parade that takes place between 8:00pm and 10:00pm on 24^th January (the 3^rd day of Lunar New Year). It will start from Sai Van Lake Square, march along Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and will end at the Macao Science Center. Every performance group is required to give short performances along the parade route. Each group must also attend the relevant and final rehearsals as well as the worship ceremony.

All groups interested in participating in the parade must submit their relevant documents to MGTO on the 12^th floor of the Hotline Building at Alameda Dr. Carlos d’Assumpção, No. 335-341 by 17^th November 2022. For more details, please refer to the “Recruitment Programme of Local Performance Groups for the Parade for Celebration of the Chinese New Year 2023” at https://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/cn/page/content.php?page_id=21402.

The event will strictly follow the pandemic prevention measures issued by the Health Bureau. If the parade needs to be rearranged or cancelled owing to circumstances beyond the organisers’ control then MGTO will work out alternative arrangements in accordance with the relevant contingency plans.