MGTO head hopes border restrictions can be lifted soon
Macau is ready to start receiving visitors from all locations and it is just waiting for the lifting of the border restrictions to put its plans into practice, the director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Helena de Senna Fernandes said on Monday at the Legislative Assembly (AL).
Replying to several inquiries regarding tourism and economic diversification in the Monday evening session, Senna Fernandes said, “We hope that border restrictions can be lifted as soon as possible. On our side, we are already prepared to receive the visitors.”
She also added that among the priorities of the MGTO is to find strategies to bring back tourists from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“We think that these will be the first two locations that we can recover tourist markets. We hope and are waiting for the lifting of the border restrictions to Hong Kong,” she added.
As for the role of the new gaming concessions in boosting the tourism market recovery, Senna Fernandes noted that the new rules for gaming concessionaires in which there is a mandatory requirement for the development of non-gaming facilities will help the government’s bid to attract non-gaming tourists.
“This [the non-gaming venues] will be used to attract tourists to many cultural and entertainment activities, among others. It is still too early to talk about the specific content of the programs of these venues but we can say that the content dedicated to tourists will be enriched,” the official said.
Senna Fernandes was attempting to respond to several lawmakers, namely Si Ka Lon, who accused the government policies of being contradictory and disconnected from reality.
“People want to come but cannot get a visa. We need to create convenience and commercial visas or others so people can come to visit Macau and invest in Macau. We don’t have any policies to attract [foreign] investment,” Si exclaimed.
Several lawmakers also expressed unhappiness that at the time of these replies, none of the high officials of the Economy and Finance sector were present at the government stand, leaving the task to the MGTO director, who they remarked, would “not be the adequate person to respond to such matters.”
Earlier the government said that the MICE [meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions] sector would be provided next year with a platform for the development of the four industries on which the government wants to focus diversification efforts.
Officials said that in 2023, there are a total of seven major MICE events planned, including ones that will establish cooperation between Macau and Hengqin.
The same officials also said that the Macau International Trade and Investment Fair will be the main “engine” for boosting the four industries of Big Health, Modern Financial Services, high technology industries, and Tourism+.
