Green book published to guide Macau’s tourism development

Lin Guangzhi, director of UM’s Center of Macau Studies

The University of Macau (UM) launched yesterday the Green Book of Macau, Annual Report on Development of Travel and Leisure in Macau (2016-2017).

Proposed by the Center of Macau Studies from UM, the book was jointly created by scholars from both Macau and China, consisting of 22 reports about the general landscape of Macau and other topics.

As part of the vision of constructing a World Tourism and Leisure Center, this report stands on the historical and cultural accumulation of Macau from the angle of a tourism destination.

While talking to the media, Hao Yufan – the main author –  said that there are no systematic studies regarding Macau’s current tourism status and its tourism development challenges.

According to Hao, the report is focused especially on what Macau can do to improve and enhance its tourism industry in the future,  adding that the report marks the first time the city’s scholars collaborated with enterprises to come up with evidence-backed suggestions for improving Macau’s tourism prospects.

From this version, the Green Book of Macau will be published annually. According to Hao, the writers are planning to establish a Macau tourism and leisure index to make it easier for the local government to make decisions.

Lin Guangzhi, director of the Center of Macau Studies of UM, says that the book represents “the first time the academic sector is supporting Macau to build itself into a world tourism and leisure center.”

“Macau has a relatively good groundwork regarding the tourism and leisure industry,” said Lin, but remarked that the industry still faces problems.

The scholar noted that “the residents’ comfort and sense of happiness” is the goal that the city pursues.

Regarding ways to improve Macau’s tourism industry and  residents’ sense of happiness, Lin suggested that improving services and balancing quality against quantity would aid in achieving those goals. He explained that “we need a scientific and rational estimation of Macau’s tourism carrying capacities” in order to formulate a good plan.

Pang Chuan, vice president of the Macau University of Science and Technology, told the media at the book launch that “Macau cannot be called a World Tourism and Leisure Center if Macau residents’ life cannot reach a status of leisure and comfort.”

“It is not ideal that Macau residents experience low standards of living but tourists enjoy leisure,” said Pang, adding “it is really difficult to achieve [the goal] to build Macau into a world tourism and leisure center.”

Pang noted that the scholars want the Macau government to remember its original wish when developing the city into a world tourism and leisure center, which is “enabling the residents to enjoy a leisurely and comfortable life.”

Cooperation fund headquarters to be inaugurated in June

T

he Secretary for Economic Affairs and Finance, Lionel Leong, announced recently that the inauguration ceremony of the China-Portuguese-
Speaking Cooperation and Development Fund in Macau will take place on June 1.

Leong said that the inauguration of the headquarters of the Fund will take place at the same time as the VIII International Forum on Infrastructure Investment and Construction.

The headquarters of the fund will initially be located in the Macau Business Support Centre, at the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), and subsequently moved to the Complex of the Trade Cooperation Services Platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, to be built in the Nam Van Lake area.

The Fund for Development Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries has an initial budget of USD1 billion, as announced in November 2010 by the then-Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the 3rd Ministerial Conference of Forum Macau.  MDT/Macauhub