Policy address | Macau to negotiate tourism trade with Guangdong

The Macau government plans to negotiate a resumption in the tourism trade with its counterparts in the provincial government of neighboring Guangdong.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said that the local government will, in due course, request that the Central Government resume issuing tourist visas for residents of mainland China to travel to Macau, as well as an extension of the individual tourist visa scheme to more mainland cities.
“We will also negotiate with Guangdong Province to loosen the policy of issuing tourist visas to residents of this province for travel to Macau,” added Ho.
As a key pillar of the economy, the tourism and leisure sector is in need of government intervention, according to the Chief Executive. Indeed, “the prosperity of one sector leads to the prosperity of all others,” said Ho.
Macau’s top official announced that the government would reinforce the support given to tourism industry operators so that these sectors “can overcome the difficulties caused by the epidemic.”
As part of the efforts to revitalize the local tourism sector, the number and variety of festive events in the SAR will be increased. This will serve the purpose of encouraging visitors to stay overnight in Macau.
Ho noted that as soon as the conditions of the pandemic allow, the government plans to resume tourism promotion “in the main source markets”. This will target especially those in the “neighboring regions” of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland, though it will not preclude plans to expand to other visitor markets still under development.
The Chief Executive confirmed that the previously reported restructuring of the Macao Government Tourism Office, which will now be under the supervision of the Economy and Finance Secretariat, is “to better promote the development of interaction between the tourism sector and other sectors.”
According to the government, other measures that will be taken to help to revitalize the economy include attracting private investment from abroad. The government noted that it will promote Macau’s advantages and business opportunities to prospective international investors, while also continuing to ensure local support is given to small and medium-sized enterprises.
“We will do our utmost to gradually recover the vitality of the local tourism sector and guarantee livelihoods for tour guides, drivers and other workers in the sector,” the Chief Executive added.
In the meantime, Macau locals can use this opportunity to immerse themselves in the “local tourism” of the region, according to Ho.
“When the epidemic is stabilized and before the issuance of these tourist visas resumes, we will launch several tourist plans for the population of Macau, namely ‘local tourism’ and ‘travel to Hengqin and neighboring regions,’ allowing people in Macau to [learn more about] Macau’s world cultural heritage sites and other local sites, including those in Hengqin,” said Ho.