MGTO preparing for crowds on ‘May Day’ holidays

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is preparing for an expected influx of tourists over the Labor Day holidays this year from April 29 to May 3.

The preparation aims to ensure smooth operations from the departments involved as well as the tourism operators, as the MGTO forecasts that some 70,000 visitors per day will enter Macau during this newly established golden week.

The Office has said that historically the May 1 holidays are one of the busiest periods of the year, competing directly with the Lunar New Year.

Considering the results obtained during the Easter holidays when Macau exceeded expectations, reaching an average of 80,294 visitors per day during the holidays that put together the Ching Ming Festival and Easter, it is likely that for the five-days of Labor Day, the figure will be similar or even higher.

MGTO is said to be actively preparing in a variety of ways, including a promotional campaign for visitors and the travel industry, to provide practical information, and raise awareness through publication as well as conducting patrols.

The Office is also said to be in close communication with mainland tourism authorities to safeguard tourism service quality and reinforce Macau’s image as a destination.

One of the methods to facilitate the trips of the visitors and locals will be the “Smart application for visitor flows” that allows real-time checking and forecasting of visitor flows at over 117 tourist attractions in Macau.

This smart app is available on the website: https://poimonitor.macaotourism.gov.mo.

A series of promotional street campaigns are also being prepared for the Guia Lighthouse and Pátio do Espinho on April 29 and 30, and Praia do Manduco from May 1 to 31.

Other promotional events are also scheduled to take place at the Macao Grand Prix Museum starting April 26 and extending all summer until the end of August.

Special offers will also be in place at the Macao Museum which will have some special offers at the gift shop from May 1 to 14.

As the director of MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said on Tuesday, the hotel occupancy is expected to be high, reaching over 80% and up to 90% during the holiday.

Prompted by these rates, the MGTO sent letters to industry operators to raise their awareness of the desirability of ensuring a safe and pleasant experience for visitors.

During the period, cross-departmental inspections and supervision will be in place at various ports of entry, tourist attractions, and shopping areas in collaboration with the Public Security Police Force, Labour Affairs Bureau, Consumer Council, and Macao Customs Service.