Gov’t unaware of hotel quarantine ads giving ‘incomplete information’
The government was unaware of an advertising campaign recently launched by one of the hotel quarantine venues in Macau that might be misleading residents abroad hoping to return to Macau this month.
When questioned on the topic by the Times, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) representative for the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, Liz Lam, said that the government was unaware of the campaign, and would leave further comments for a future occasion.
The Times spoke to the MGTO representatives on the sidelines of the press briefing. After learning the facts, the representatives confirmed that no changes had been made to the rule that travelers returning to Macau must undergo their quarantine period of 14 days in the only hotel offering closed-loop quarantine, that is, the Treasure Hotel, located near the Macau International Airport.
The advertisements, which have been circulating on social media through sponsored posts for a couple of days, were aimed at attracting Macau returnees to the hotel in question for their 14-day quarantine period, offering the possibility of winning a “Free Quarantine Staycation” in an online competition, redeemable between April 26 and May 31.
The lucky winner of the competition for the most “likes” on the posts submitted would win a complimentary 14-night stay in the quarantine hotel, including three daily meals valued at MOP16,520 net.
According to MGTO officials at the center’s Covid-19 briefing, this promotion would not apply to those arriving from high-risk Covid-19 countries. In effect, this means that only those arriving from Taiwan would be eligible for the prize offered in the online campaign.
Asked if the advertising was somewhat deceptive and could lead residents abroad into error, Lam said, “I guess it is a case of incomplete information. Maybe we need to communicate with the hotels to provide more accurate information to avoid confusion.”
A full review of the terms and conditions by the Times found no mention of the fact that particular groups would be ineligible for the promotion, less still that it would only be open to arrivals from Taiwan.
After the case was brought to the attention of the tourism authorities, the page on the hotel website presenting the offer and stating the terms and conditions was deleted.
Furthermore, cross-promotions on several social media platforms were also removed.
