Tourism | Bollywood actress Fatima Shaikh promotes Macau

Instagram photos of Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Shaikh visiting Macau

In response to the suggestions of a research team, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has scaled up a program which aims to use social media platforms and famous people to help promote Macau abroad to a diverse range of countries.

The research team analyzed and studied media coverage of the MGTO’s “four mega-events” of the year, as well as their relevance to the promotion of Macau as a “destination brand” to develop the suggestions.

One of the newest faces promoting Macau on social media is Bollywood actress Fatima Sana Shaikh.

The 27-year-old from Mumbai has 2.1 million followers on Instagram and was in Macau around six weeks ago. During her trip, she experienced what the region had to offer and shared it all in detail, posting photographs and videos on Instagram.

From Michelin-starred restaurants to Art Macao exhibitions and visiting the most exciting Integrated Resorts entertainment, the actress experienced a wide range of the activities, entertainment and food that Macau has to offer.

The posts have been liked by 60,000 to 170,000 people.

Aside from experiencing Macau as a regular tourist, the actress also received special treatment from the public relation teams of the places she visited, which included taking photos with chefs, “The House of Dancing Water” performers and many others, all tagged with the hashtag “Macao Moments.”

Indian media outlet Udaipur Times also noted the new campaign, which had been initiated on social media by the actress in collaboration with MGTO, titled “Fun, Food & Fashion with Fatima.”
According to Indian media, the campaign aims to attract “independent and young female travelers of India to explore the vibrant destination renowned for its unique east-meets-west charm.”

The same source added that the focus of the campaign, like others done with a range of influencers, was to help reveal what Macau has to offer in culture, heritage, art, cuisine, adventure and attractions to a wider range of people. This campaign was aimed at the Indian tourist market.

An MGTO study from last year suggested that the government department should “give higher attention to discussions about the events concerned on social media,” as well as enhance social interaction by pairing up with celebrities, travel bloggers and online influencers.

At the time, the MGTO announced that it would consider the findings and continue to optimize events and activities to provide more enriching event experiences for locals and visitors, and to reinforce Macau’s destination brand as a City of Events.

Last year’s influx of 35.8 million tourists represented an almost 10% rise from 32.6 million in 2017. At its current growth trajectory, Macau is on track to break the symbolic 40-million mark this year, previously earmarked by Macau’s Institute for Tourism Studies as the city’s “optimal tourism carrying capacity.”