TurboJET plans packages with casinos to boost visitors

Macau ferry operator TurboJET is planning to collaborate with the city’s six casino operators to increase visitors to the city by offering boat-plus-show ticket packages on Hong Kong routes, according to a director at the company.

Wong Man Chung, a TurboJET director, told Macao Daily News the company is “planning” to collaborate with casinos. Casinos have been investing in non-gaming attractions, like concerts, in line with the government’s goal of building a “city of performing arts.”

One operator, Sands China Ltd., already provides ferry services through its Cotai Water Jet and offers facilities for cultural events. But Wong provided no details on how ferry-show packages might work.

TurboJET is owned by Shun Tak Holdings Ltd., founded by late Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho, and China Travel International. It currently runs over 60 services daily between Hong Kong and Macau. This amount constitutes about half the number of pre-pandemic services; staffing issues limit round-the-clock services, Wong said.

Competition from buses that use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge persists as a factor, he added.

In the first quarter of 2022, Macau saw nearly 1.12 million visitor arrivals by ferry, with 42.7% from the mainland and 38.4% from Hong Kong, government data shows. That accounted for 62% of arrivals during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.

The packages aim to further tap the Hong Kong market and support Macau’s economic recovery as it diversifies from casinos towards arts and culture. If realized, they could provide a new model for ferry-casino cooperation.

However, key details, including operator participation, ticket pricing, and launch timelines, remain unclear.

Staff Reporter