Grand Prix museum opening postponed

The opening of the Macau Grand Prix Museum has been postponed to the first quarter of 2020, according to director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.

The museum, which was originally planned to open in the fourth quarter this year, has been postponed due to the testing of devices that will be installed inside the premises.

According to the MGTO director, the installing and testing of the devices has created difficulties which requires some time to be solved, causing the delay.

The MGTO director claimed that, despite spending more time preparing for the opening, the government will stick to its original budget for the museum, perhaps even spending less. The official clarified that the budget will “surely not” exceed its original amount.

The project had an estimated budget of MOP380 million in 2016 when it was first presented by the government. That figure was later revised to MOP830 million to include the additional costs of purchasing all necessary equipment for the new museum to operate.

The Macau Grand Prix Museum opened in 1993 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix. In celebration of the 50th Macau Grand Prix, the Macao Government Tourism Office carried out extensive renovations and a modernization of the museum. The museum is located at the Tourism Activities Center.

Regarding the planned wine museum, the SAR government is still seeking a proper location. Previously, the local government had chosen a site in Coloane. However, the site was found too small in size, making it inadequate for hosting all of the artifcats and exhibits. JZ