Qin’ao tour group registration opens for online and offline travel

The tourism sector is poised for a significant boost with the opening of registration for the “Qin’ao Tourism Group,” available both online and offline. In light of the recent announcement of the “group in and group out” policy, the initiative aims to attract tourists from various provinces in the mainland.

The Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has certified ten additional travel agencies, increasing the total agencies accredited to conduct these tours to 30.

A prominent addition to the initiative is Ctrip, a major player in the mainland travel industry, boasting an extensive network of over 6,500 offline stores nationwide, as well as an online platform. Allowing travelers to explore diverse itineraries with a simpler registration process, providing unique “one-trip, multi-destination” travel products to Macau and beyond.

Industry experts recommend that authorities enhance publicity efforts to raise awareness among domestic tour organizers about these policies, enabling them to create itineraries and launch products that effectively attract tourists.

Paul Wong, President of the Macau Leisure Tourism Service Innovation Association emphasized the importance of promoting these policies to facilitate itinerary planning and product launches that can attract tourists to Macau.

“Notably, many of these agencies are based in Guangdong,” he said in a local media report published yesterday.

The majority of accredited travel agencies managing “Qin’ao Tour Groups” are located in Guangdong Province, particularly in Guangzhou and Zhuhai. Wong believes Shenzhen has become a crucial tourist distribution center in the country. He advocates for collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and other institutions to effectively publicize these policies nationwide. Additionally, he suggests optimizing the review and approval standards for travel agency qualifications, as Hengqin and Shenzhen have emerged as new destinations for mainland group organizers. Nadia Shaw