The city’s tour guides are anticipating a significant change in the mode of global tourism once the pandemic is over, Wu Wai Fong, chairman of the Macau Tourist Guide Association, expressed to the Times.
The ongoing pandemic has proven to be a disaster for the tourism industry, with tour guides among those most at risk in terms of employment.
Recently, a group of local tour guides met with Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong. They asked the Macau SAR government not only to help them with their employment status but also to assist with bringing Macau’s economy back on track.
“All sectors and industries are hoping the government can help by launching the third round of e-vouchers, by not having one-size-fits-all policies, and by providing specific assistance across all sectors and industries,” Wu told the Times.
Wu pointed out that some of Macau’s workers are either unemployed or underemployed and, with the e-vouchers gone, these workers are seeking ways to help themselves out.
“We hope that the government can find channels to recover the economy,” Wu said.
As of today, mainland China, Macau’s largest market and most important source of revenue, has been issuing tourism visas to its residents to travel to Macau.
However, mainland China’s warnings of outbound travel, the local government’s policies on outbound travel, Macau’s travel endorsement approval procedures, and Covid-19 testing requirements have been preventing visitors from traveling outside of mainland China.
“Nobody dares to predict how long it will take until the economy recovers,” Wu expressed.
Wu hopes that the government can continue supporting, in the long term, a tour guide service for a free-travel-scheme, as Wu anticipates tourism will see drastic changes.
“Tourism will transform itself, not just locally but globally,” the chairman projected.
“Once the pandemic is over, individual-travel will merge with online-travel. […] We must prepare before the pandemic ends,” said Wu, further explaining that individual travelers are seeking travel products online.
Deep travel services and individual-travel tour guide services are two likely way-outs for the city’s tour guide, in Wu’s opinion.
Through deep travel service, tour guides will bring visitors to more places, other than traditionally popular tourist attractions when they visit Macau. Individual-travel tour guide service will focus on individual travelers instead of package tour visitors.
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