MGTO’s new app to customize itineraries targeting GBA tourists

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is upping its game on smart tourism with a forthcoming application devised to offer personalized itineraries for travelers.
The new application will utilise AI technology and open data to tailor-make itineraries that speak to the needs and expectations of a variety of tourist types. It will also tap into advanced technology to forecast visitor volumes at local tourist sites.
The new platform will enable tourists to tailor their travel routes of choice, which MGTO believes will result in an enhanced visitor experience and drive tourism to Macau.
MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes unveiled the new undertaking in a written reply published earlier, in response to a query raised by Lawmaker Ho Ion Sang.
Apart from the smart app, which is yet to launch, the MGTO has been pursuing strategic discounted offerings to entice mainland tourists to Macau. From September to December, the authority has assigned MOP290 million worth of electronic vouchers, distributed through the WeChat messaging app, to woo mainland tourists to travel to the city.
Mainland tourists have always been the most integral source market for the MGTO, given their high spending power per capita and the volume of this variety of holidaymaker.
As Covid-19 has brought global tourism to a halt, mainland travelers have become virtually the only tourist source for Macau, and as a result, more weight has been placed upon them as part of the city’s efforts to drive a quick rebound in tourism sector.
“The SAR government will be proactive to elevate the promotional campaign, increasing the flexibility of the usage of e-vouchers, publicizing the campaign to more mainland tourists, especially those residing in the Greater Bay Area,” Fernandes stressed in the statement.
Macau’s tourism has gradually been getting back on track in the wake of the resumption of Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) permits for all mainland tourists since September 23.
In the third quarter of 2020, Macau saw a total of 750,204 arrivals, a jump of almost 1,409% quarter-over-quarter from 49,730 in the previous quarter, but a decrease of 92.4% year-on-year, according to the Statistics and Census Service Bureau.
On November 20, the first day of Macau Grand Prix, there were over 28,000 arrivals to Macau, the highest daily record over the past nine months, the MGTO revealed. Staff Reporter