Tourism | Secretary Tam acknowledges visitor capacity challenge

Clockwise from top: Helena S. Fernandes, Alexis Tam, Angela Leong, Francis Lui, Linda Chen, and Wilfred Wong

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, who ultimately oversees matters relating to tourism, has acknowledged that the continuous surge in visitor arrivals is posing a challenge for the city. Tam made the comment yesterday during a plenary meeting of the Tourism Development Committee (CDT), according to the government.

Noting the issue of Macau’s maximum tourism carrying capacity, Secretary Tam said that the local government will work to safeguard the quality of life of residents.

The Macao Government Tourism office (MGTO), which falls under the purview of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, is currently studying the feasibility of imposing tourist tax and is keen to hear from the public on the matter. It is worth highlighting that tax imposition is just one of the various possible means and measures to tackle the issue of tourism carrying capacity, noted the MGTO in a statement yesterday.

Numerous CDT members expressed their feedback and perspectives on a tourist tax during yesterday’s meeting. They expressed concerns about the objective and effectiveness of the policy, as well as its potential influence on the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

Some members pointed out the close relevance between Macau’s tourism carrying capacity and its border-crossing capacity, transportation system and crowd management measures at major tourist attractions. They suggested application of an appointment system for visits to tourist attractions for management of the daily volume of visitor admissions.

Meanwhile, another CDT member expressed the necessity of formulating short- and long-term policies to tackle the issue of the tourism carrying capacity, and setting up interdepartmental task forces to put respective measures into practice in the long run.

MGTO Director Helena de Senna Fernandes called for industry operators, especially hotels, to refer to the respective guideline for enhancement of the accessibility of their facilities in the future. The Office has also rolled out training for awareness enhancement among industry operators.

CDT members also expressed their concerns about Greater Bay Area tourism development, particularly regarding island tourism. Some stated that discussions with Hengqin are underway about the development of island tour products.

In concluding the meeting, Tam stated that the city-wide summer art festival Art Macao, can contribute to fostering non-gaming elements in Macau and cultivating cultural attainment among the Macau youth. He also lauded the launch of the study on accessible tourism facilities in Macau and called for the support of industry operators by putting accessible tourism into practice.

TASK FORCE COORDINATORS REPORT BACK

The coordinators of the four Task Forces under the tutelage of the Tourism Development Committee delivered their work reports during yesterday’s meeting, the first plenary session of the CDT this year. This is what they reported on:

– The coordinator of the Task Force on Human Resources and Quality Management, Wilfred Wong, reported on human resources and employment of drivers.

– The coordinator of the Task Force on Tourism Policy, Planning and Regional Cooperation, Francis Lui, reported on CDT members’ concerns about tourism carrying capacity and the feasibility of tourist tax imposition, transport connectivity for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, maritime tour and suggestions following the launch of the “Hengqin International Leisure Tourism Island Construction Scheme”.

– The coordinator of the Task Force on Tourism Branding and Marketing, Linda Chen, reported the outcome of discussions on promotional initiatives for Art Macao and the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau SAR, 144-hour simplified visa transit policy and multi-destination travel.

– The coordinator of the Task Force on Tourism Products and Events, Angela Leong, reported on Anim’Arte Nam Van, the Macao Grand Prix Museum and the Wine Museum. DB