Since introducing the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan in 2017, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has put into effect 67 short-term action plans, with the level of implementation reaching about 81 percent.
The level of progress made so far was due to the concerted efforts of the Office and its partners in the public and private sectors.
The Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan is designed to position Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure, mapping out an overall plan for tourism industry development with eight key objectives, 33 strategies, 29 planning proposals and 91 short-term, medium-term and long-term action plans.
MGTO solicits regular feedback from the Macao SAR Government departments tasked with putting parts of the master plan into effect. The Office recently presented an update on progress made in implementing the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan to the Macao SAR Government Tourism Development Committee. Of the 69 short-term action plans, which are meant to take up to five years to put into effect, 56 have already achieved their purpose, while work on putting into effect another 11 is in progress.
MGTO plans to review Tourism Master Plan this year
MGTO intends to begin reviewing the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan this year, systemically examining the different objectives, strategies and planning proposals. MGTO added it would make appropriate changes to the subsidiary action plans in response to changes in the tourist market and the development of the tourism industry.
Download the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan – Comprehensive Report and the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan – Summary Report from http://masterplan.macaotourism.gov.mo/home-en/index.html
| Master plan implementation progress – 2019 The MGTO report on the progress made in 2019 regarding implementation of the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan concluded that Macao is nearer to achieving the eight key objectives contained in the master plan under the concerted efforts of various public departments and the private sector. Key objective 1: Diversify tourism products and experiences – Art Macao was the first mega international cultural and artistic event to be staged in Macao; – The development of sightseeing tours by boat was fostered; – The remodelling of the Macao Grand Prix Museum made progress; – The “International Gastronomy Forum, Macao” was held, and featured the first cooking demonstration open to the public; – The Analytical Study on Optimisation of Night-time Tourism Activities and Products was completed; – The “Specific Financial Support Programme for the Cultural Tourism Brand Building – MAK MAK” was launched. Key objective 2: Improve service quality and skills – To improve the occupational skills and career development of people working in the tourism industry, the relevant departments of the Macao SAR Government arranged training and skill accreditation programmes; – MGTO expanded the Quality Tourism Services Accreditation Scheme to cover the retail sector, via a crossover with the Consumer Council’s Certified Shop Scheme. Key objective 3: Rebrand Macao as a multi-day destination and expand high-value markets – MGTO and other partners continued to arrange or take part in various tourism promotion events in various markets that are sources of visitors to Macao; – Key opinion leaders and members of the mass media were invited to visit Macao and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area; – MGTO got together with travel agencies and airlines to come up with tourism products with various specific themes; – Promotional activities by MGTO representatives in various markets were designed to suit specific segments of the tourist market such as young adults, families and wealthy women; – A website for destination promotion was set up to enhance the experience offered to travellers. Key objective 4: Optimise urban development model – MGTO continued to contribute to the urban planning effort; – The Office continued to address the demand for land for tourism purposes, and to point out the potential of certain places for development for such purposes; – Various departments of the Macao SAR Government pressed on with infrastructure projects meant to make it easier to get around Macao, or into and out of the city, including the expansion of Macau International Airport, moving the Lotus Bridge border post to the Hengqin Island side, preparing for the opening of the Taipa line of the Light Rapid Transit elevated railway, and building the Qingmao Frontier Post at a new crossing point on the border between Guangdong and Macao; – MGTO also continued to support the efforts of tourism operators to protect the environment, and to promote initiatives to make Macao better suited to pedestrians. Key objective 5: Manage Macao’s tourism carrying capacity – The relevant partners continued to improve the way congested tourist attractions are managed, and to come up with ideas for decongesting them; – Technology was used to forecast the density of visitor flows at major attractions so authorities are better able to cope with the flows and manage crowds, not least for reasons of safety; – The partners took measures to manage traffic to keep the flows of visitors smooth. Key objective 6: Utilise innovative technology – In line with the Macao SAR Government’s drive to make Macao a smart city, MGTO began cooperating with Alibaba Cloud, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, with a view to fostering smart tourism development. The cooperative effort resulted in the introduction of a tourism information interchange platform, an application for visitor insights and a smart application for visitor flows; – The Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau organized the “Macao Smart Hotel Award 2019” scheme to prompt Macao enterprises to harness novel technology in improving hotel service. Key objective 7: Enhance tourism industry cooperation – Work progressed on refining the law as it applies to tourism, as demanded by the tourism industry; – Support was given to the passage of the Law on the Operation of Hotel Establishments; – Impetus was given to the amendment of the Law on the Operation of Travel Agencies and Tour Guide Profession; – Partnerships between the public and private sectors were strengthened and Macao enterprises were urged to demonstrate their social responsibility. Key objective 8: Enhance Macao’s position as a core tourism city in the regional and international tourism community – Following the “Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” and the “Hengqin International Leisure Tourism Island Construction Scheme” being put into action, MGTO continued playing its part in the Tourism Federation of Cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay Area. It promoted multi-destination tourism development and it explored with tourism enterprises new possibilities for the development of multi-island tours and for tailoring new tourism products to suit specific markets; – The Office also took part in activities arranged by UNESCO Creative Cities around the world and sent representatives to meetings held by international tourism organisations with a view to giving Macao a greater part to play in international tourism affairs. |