Tourism experts suggest finding niche products in the SAR

Susanna Saari (left) and Daniela Otero

Executives of Skål International remarked that Macau has a variety of unique offerings which have effectively attracted millions of tourists annually, yet it faces challenges in creating a new niche product.

President of Skål International Susanna Saari, and CEO of the company, Daniela Otero, is in the SAR to attend the 47th Skål Asia Area Congress – themed “gastronomy tourism” at Fisherman’s Wharf, held until Sunday.

According to Saari and Otero, who are both first timers in the MSAR, the region has “unique things,” to offer to its massive number of annual visitors.

“It’s an amazing, unique combination of East and West cultures, and altogether creates a new one. This is something different. With our fresh eyes, it’s easy to see this product,” Saari told the Times.

“The geographical position is unique [with] easy access. Now the challenge again is to try to think [whether] the destination wants to create a new niche product or not,” she added.

With Macau expecting up to 40 million tourists annually by 2025, Otero suggested that the SAR determine ways to identify which proportion of this significant number would come to the SAR for gambling and for leisure.

“This is something that we would recommend to test and work on. The intelligent way is to maintain this number and to think about another option including gastronomy or cultural things,” said Otero.

“There are other types of products that exist here that are possible to combine and live together, then Macau will have a market for three of four segments,” the CEO added.

The executives also noted that the SAR could create a brand not just for tourists coming from the neighboring regions, or even Asia more broadly, but also for those coming from Western countries.

Both the president and the CEO observed that the buildings in Rua de Felicidade could be restored to create a “unique ambience,” which could potentially offer typical teahouses or cultural shops to attract visitors, particularly from the West.

“These would be a very nice area for those European tourists who are not here for gambling but for local authentic culture and offerings that Macau has,” said Saari.

According to them, there is a significant opportunity for Macau to further expand its tourism offerings, as they cited the UNESCO World Heritage Sites within the city.

Susanna Saari told the Times that  Skål International is working on various improvements including its statutes and membership categories.

She added that as the tourism sector continues to approach a new era, it aims to become more digital, and focused on business functions.

However, Saari  and Otero admitted that it remains a challenge for the organization to swiftly respond to modernization, as the way users buy and sell products has significantly changed in the last ten years.

“We need to adapt to this era. For this we took a decision to make a big transition and to look into digital transformation in a worldwide level,” said Otero. “We are very clear that it will be a permanent task for us to follow the technology,” she added.

Otero noted that the organization gives modern tools to its members, with a goal to provide networking amongst its members, as well as business opportunities.

Promoting destinations has become easier and more accessible due to the increasing number of individuals who aim to travel, aspiring to experience what they see on social media platforms or travel review websites. Thus the relevance of recommendation by other users’ word of mouth has become increasingly significant.

“Now you take anybody’s word in recommendation. This is a challenge but an opportunity for us,” the president noted.

“It’s something that we need to live with and in the future, it’s going to be the same, it’s a challenge,” Otero echoed.

The two noted that tourism experts should think more about innovative solutions to promote their destinations, as customers have become more aware of current travel trends or destinations, and have access to multiple choices on where to buy travel products.

“We tend to have aging members. This is honestly a huge challenge, in how to bring them into the digital world. […] It’s also more on the awareness and willingness to actually jump on board and to be open to the change,” said Saari.

The Skål International Macau Club is hosting a four-day event in town, which includes the signing of a MoU between Pacific Asia Travel Association and Skål International, as well as talks by industry experts.