In preparation for what is the first Golden Week holiday to follow the full reinstatement on 23 September of travel permit issuance for Mainland residents to Macao, MGTO rolled out an array of measures for the eight days October National Day Golden Week (1 to 8 October) . They included: increasing availability of information on pandemic prevention among visitors, stepping up inspections and issuing industry notices, and coordinating and supporting local organisations in the launching of festive activities. Via such measures, MGTO endeavours not only to cater for residents’ and visitors’ needs but also protect public health and safety via enhanced service quality in Macao.
Promotion for pandemic prevention
MGTO has been making use of a range of channels to inform visitors about a variety of information regarding pandemic prevention. That includes: displaying “Pandemic prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao” on TV screens at the Gongbei Port immigration hall; posting pandemic prevention guidelines on MGTO’s website; publicising information on pandemic prevention at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters at different ports of entry; calling attention to pandemic prevention via MGTO’s WeChat and Weibo accounts; producing the graphic abstract “Pandemic prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao”; and distributing leaflets at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters.
In preparation for the Golden Week period, MGTO also forwarded the Macao SAR Government Health Bureau’s latest pandemic-prevention guidelines to travel agencies. These businesses were advised to brief tourism employees such as tour bus drivers and tour guides on the latest information on pandemic prevention, and urge them to enhance awareness of personal hygiene and practices to protect themselves and others against the risk of illness.
Interdepartmental coordination
MGTO issued an industry notice reminding tourism businesses to abide by the pandemic-prevention guidelines and pertinent regulations during their 1 October National Day Golden Week holiday operations. Operators were also called upon to raise awareness about various occupational guidelines, and were reminded about the requirement for hotels and catering establishments to declare price lists, as well as for hotels to keep records of hotel guest information upon check-in, and for hotel swimming-pool management guidelines to be followed, among other things.
Tourism industry employees were advised to remain vigilant and carry out good personal hygiene practices, as well as adhering to pandemic prevention guidelines issued by the Health Bureau and so forth.
MGTO requested local travel agencies to supply lists of Mainland tour groups they are serving during the holiday. Furthermore, the Office sent a notice to local hotels and guest houses about relevant guidelines of pandemic-prevention tips for Mainland visitors in Macao, and the graphic abstract on this topic produced by MGTO.
Regarding traffic and transport arrangements at various ports of entry, a meeting on the topic was convened, with attendance by representatives of the Macao SAR Government Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, the Public Security Police Force and the Macao SAR Government Transport Bureau. Another meeting was held with representatives of industry operators regarding various measures on traffic and transportation.
During the Golden Week period, MGTO is maintaining regular communication and exchange of information with relevant public departments. The Office is also stepping up patrols at various tourist spots, ports of entry and local districts, as well as taking concerted action with police authorities against illegal accommodation. In addition, MGTO inspectors have been placed on round-the-clock standby.
Guidelines on crowd management during National Day Fireworks
The “Full Moon National Day Fireworks Celebration by Macao and Hengqin” will be staged at 9 p.m. on the night of 1 October, and run for 20 minutes. Upon evaluation of the festival crowds and pandemic conditions on the day, the Public Security Police Force will if necessary, enhance manpower to maintain public order.
Members of the public wishing to enjoy the fireworks display should each wear a face mask outdoors. Drivers must not slow down on the Sai Van Bridge during the fireworks performance, while tour buses must not drop off passengers at traffic control spots in Taipa. Meanwhile, the Transport Bureau will increase public-bus service frequency to facilitate crowd diversion.
MGTO issued an industry notice about arrangements for disembarkation/embarkation of tour bus passengers on the day, to facilitate traffic diversion and ensure visitors’ safety.
Public broadcaster TDM’s Entertainment Channel and TDM’s Facebook page will broadcast live the spectacle, while TDM Radio Macau Chinese Channel (FM100.7) will live-stream the synchronised background music at 9 p.m. when the show kicks off, for the convenience of residents who choose to watch the fireworks at home.
Festive events and special offers for a fun holiday
MGTO is rolling out “Macao Light Festival 2020 – Light Carnival” from 26 September to 31 October, in addition to the “Full Moon National Day Fireworks Celebration by Macao and Hengqin” co-held on National Day with the Administrative Committee of Hengqin New Area, to celebrate the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. MGTO is also supporting a range of festive events held by local organisations. They include: the “The 20th Anniversary of the Return of Macau to the Motherland: Perception on Macau’s History, Culture and Tourism Docent Training Program”; the “5th Macau International Lantern Festival”; “Macao Light Festival 2020 — Light and Color at Cathedral Parish”; “Macao Light Festival 2020 — Fun Journey of Light at Our Lady of Fatima Parish”; and “Macao Light Festival 2020 — ‘Light extravaganza on Coloane’ at Parish of St. Francis Xavier”; “Community Tourism – Autumn Afternoons in Macao”; and the “21st Southeast Asia Food Carnival”.
MGTO launched the “Macao Ready Go!” online platform in June for wide-ranging promotion to residents and visitors, of good deals and discount offers for local shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment, as well as for hotel accommodation. The Macao SAR Government also partners with Tencent, Alibaba, Trip.com, UnionPay International and Air Macau, to promote to tourists special offers on travel, hotels and air tickets. The partnerships aim to attract visitors for a vacation in Macao, stimulate increase in tourism expenditure, and extend visitors’ length of stay in Macao, in turn building business momentum for various industries in order to revive the local economy.
Offer of statistics
MGTO’s online platform Macao Tourism Data plus (http://dataplus.macaotourism.gov.mo) is, between 2 and 9 October, posting daily the provisional visitor-arrival figures for the preceding day. For the public’s benefit, MGTO’s website (www.macaotourism.gov.mo) and Macao Tourism Industry Net (http://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo) regularly post the current declared room rates of local hotels and guest houses in all room categories.
MGTO’s website also offers a direct link to the Public Security Police Force’s “Real-Time Information Platform of Border Ports”, which visitors can access to check real-time images of the boundary crossing points at the Border Gate, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Taipa Ferry Terminal, Zhuhai-Macao Cross Border Industrial Zone Border Checkpoint, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Frontier Post as well as Inner Harbour and yacht terminal, hence choosing the suitable timing to leave or enter Macao.
Macao Food Guide for 1st October Holiday
MGTO is partnering with the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District and the Industry and Commerce Federation of Islands of Macao, as well as the Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering, to publish the Macao Food Guide for 1st October Holiday (digital version). Offering a contact list of restaurants and eateries open during the National Holiday, the handy food guide familiarises residents and visitors with the relevant restaurants’ operational information. Visitors can download the food guide by scanning the QR code or through MGTO’s website and WeChat account.