Tourism industry praises gov’t’s local travel incentive

The government’s latest local travel incentives will be capable of helping the tourism and hotel industry amid current challenges, Wong Fai, director-general of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, believes.
Many local tourism workers have been unemployed since the outbreak of the coronavirus last year. They have since been without income, with no work available.
On Monday, the government announced that each local resident can receive a maximum of MOP280 when they join local tours.
Wong sees this as a job opportunity for local tourism and hotel industry workers, as well as a chance to boost internal consumption.
He also disclosed to public broadcaster TDM that the city should see six to eight itineraries available next month, in response to the government’s incentives. Popular itineraries similar to last year’s local tour ones, such as helicopter tours, will reemerge.
Local residents will also be subsidized when they take staycations at local hotels. Each resident will receive a MOP200 subsidy, and each room stay, regardless of the number of nights, will attract a MOP400 subsidy.
The local travel incentive scheme is provoking divided opinions, however, among the public. AL