Gov’t approves casinos’ old district rejuvenation proposals

The government “basically” approves rejuvenation plans for the city’s older districts submitted by the six casino operators, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has been cited as saying by local media.

The comment was reportedly made by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng at a press conference concluding the official visit of Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

While in Macau, the national official visited the non-gambling elements at two local hotels and resorts. As seen from earlier reports, Xia visited a new convention and exhibition complex in Cotai.

Elaborating on the rejuvenation plan, Ho said “[casino operators] understand the mentality of tourists, what they are looking for and what to invest to rejuvenate the districts,” as cited by local media All About Macau.

The head of the government further commended the plans for being “very well done” and “very detailed.” He also hoped these plans could be implemented as soon as possible.

He said the plans should bring older districts to “awakening” so that they would develop alongside the Cotai district. He suggested rejuvenation requires efforts from both public and private sectors, adding that each sector working out their functions with coordination will lead to “a good direction.”

On the other hand, Ho said the casino operators have been fulfilling their non-gambling promises made during the license bidding procedure. He believed that non-gambling investments will leverage developments in MICE, culture and sports, which is a commitment of gaming development in Macau.