Pansy Ho agrees with gov’t measures on Chinese visas

Pansy Ho, the daughter of gaming entrepreneur Stanley Ho, claimed yesterday that the Macau government’s new policy regarding Point of Sale (POS) machines and Chinese visas has no substantial impact on the gaming industry. She also believes that a regular review of tourism policies is necessary in order to maintain Macau’s capacity to receive visitors.
The MGM China co-chair spoke to the media at the opening of the Biennial of the Lions last night. She stated that the change of policy concerning POS machines “is not very relevant.”
As for the fact that the government has shortened the period in which Chinese passport holders are permitted to stay in Macau whilst in transit, Ms Ho thinks that this move is “in order.”
“No matter what kind of tourism policy, when it has reached a certain point, it has to be examined every once in a while to be attested or reviewed… We want to prevent the situation in which we no longer have the capacity to handle [visitors] and we want to see what guests’ demands [entail].”
“My interpretation is that we have only slightly adjusted the policy. But this does not have an effect… Normally, it is not how many times [visitors] come that counts: it is the overall experience during their visit… For Macau, especially for us, we should work on improving the quality of service and extending their stay.”
Moreover, Pansy Ho said that the preparation for a total smoking ban in mass areas is “satisfying.” “I think we are the ones who looked into this issue earlier [than others].”
Additionally, Ms Ho believes that Macau should further invest in its cultural scene. She revealed that in future MGM projects, especially in the Cotai project, there will a greater artistic and creative component.
“We have been talking about diversifying. Honestly, in tourism experiences, there are many good examples whereby travellers go [overseas], and after a while they have enough of shopping and eating and sightseeing. At the end of the day, they need something that is a little bit more spiritual and soul-searching. Sometimes, art is a very good medium,” Pansy Ho concluded.