Tourism | MGTO joins event in Lisbon

APAVT president (center) with the MGTO director, the Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism (right), the President of Portugal Tourism Board and the coordinator of Macau Tourism Promotion & Information Center in Portugal

The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT) organized a presentation session in Lisbon for tourism government officials, operators and media concerning the 43rd National Congress of APAVT.

To be held in Macau from November 23 to 27, the theme of the congress will be  “Tourism: In the East, all new!” according to a statement issued by MGTO.

The congress is expected to gather around 500 Portuguese tourism operators and travel agents; and provide them with an update about new tourism offers and opportunities.

During the presentation session at the Portuguese capital, the Secretary of State for Tourism of Portugal, Ana Mendes Godinho, noted, “the organization of the Congress of APAVT in Macau represents the unique golden key that will close this great year for Portugal-China relations.”

“Clearly, we will have a very significant moment on July with the inauguration of the direct flights Lisbon-Beijing-
Hangzhou, but throughout the year we have been also developing a string of intense initiatives in order to reinforce the presence and promotion of Portugal in China,” Godinho added.

Meanwhile, Helena de Sena Fernandes said that the bureau is confident that the congress would lead to further networking between operators, attracting more Portuguese visitors to Macau.

The MGTO head noted that the event is in line with the Protocol on Cooperation in Tourism signed last year between Macau and Portugal to reinforce relations and stimulate tourism cooperation across different levels.

APAVT President Pedro Costa Ferreira, who was also at the meeting, described Macau as a “kaleidoscope of emotions, cultures, stories and people.”

“Also, because Macau represents a whole global economic centeredness which is moving East, with the city embodying a true window of change of the economical structure that is being heralded,” said Ferreira.

Further, the MGTO director had a meeting on Wednesday in Lisbon with the President of Portugal Tourism Board, Luís Araújo.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed enhancing bilateral and multi-destination tourism cooperation and exchanges, along with the possibilities provided by the soon to be opened direct flights between Portugal and Mainland China, among other topics.

The 43rd National Congress of APAVT is being organized with the support of MGTO.

This is the fifth time that APAVT is holding its annual national congress in the peninsula, and the second since the establishment of the MSAR. The last edition of the congress that was held in Macau occurred nine years ago.

Last year Macau welcomed 15,624 visitors from Portugal, marking a 3 percent year-on-year increase. The growth continued for the first four months of the year, with arrivals recording a 10.4 percent increase.