TGIF Becomes TGIM – Macau Roadshow is Biggest Ever Promotion

‘Thank Goodness It’s Friday’ became ‘Thank Goodness It’s Macau’ last week as the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) concluded a three city tour of Australia with a stunning “Macau Unmasked” presentation in Sydney on Friday evening.

The biggest ever Macau promotion in Australia saw the delegation led by Ms Cecilia Tse Heng Sai, Head, Promotion & Market Department, MGTO, participate in a series of high powered professional roadshows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney during a four day blitz that emphasised the yesterday, today and tomorrow of the former Portuguese enclave.

[Pictured left: Cecilia Tse Heng Sai and Helen Wong]

The city which today thrives as a separate special administrative region within China is heavily dependent upon tourism with 42 per cent of the half million-strong population employed in the tourism industry or ancillary services, said Ms Tse Heng Sai.

Some 72 per cent of Macau’s GDP comes from tourism, she added.  Last year, more than 18 million visitors entered Macau, up 12 per cent over 2004.  Australia is the 10th largest market source contributing 62,000 visitors in 2005, up 46 per cent over the previous year. 

The surge in arrivals has in large part been due to the ongoing promotional activities from the MGTO Representative in Australia/New Zealand.  During the press briefing Ms Tse Heng Sai commended the efforts of Ms Helen Wong, General Manager and her team in stimulating awareness of the destination and increasing the number of wholesalers packaging Macau.

There are currently about 13,000 hotel rooms in Macau.  Another 59 hotel projects are in various stages of development.  When all of these are completed the market will see a surge of an additional 40,000 rooms, said Ms Tse Heng Sai.

Among the signature projects is a 34 storey, 500 room StarWorld Hotel located 1.5 km from the Ferry Pier on Macau’s main thoroughfare Avenida de Amizada.  The 600 room MGM Grand Macau is currently under construction with the project set to open in the second half of 2007. 

Meanwhile, Sydney-based Melco International Development Ltd and Packer’s PBL have joined forces to build the Crown Macau on Taipa Island.  The 227 room hotel casino opens later this year. 

The joint venture will also build the lavish “City of Dreams Resort”.  This project featuring the world’s only underwater casino is set to open in mid 2008.

Ms Tse revealed that the average length of stay in Macau is 1.2 nights.  The figure for the Australian market is higher at 1.8 nights with 48 per cent of all Aussie visitors staying one or more nights. 

The MGTO is working to increase the length of stay in various ways including the development of business tourism and the MICE sector.

[Pictured left: Cecilia Tse Heng Sai]

The appeal of Macau for the MICE market will be dramatically increased when a 1 million sq. ft facility, one of the biggest convention centres in the region, opens next year. 

While Ms Tse Heng Sai conceded that gaming is the leader of the tourism industry, Macau has firmly positioned itself as a ‘City of Culture and Entertainment.  This tag was reinforced mid last year when the historic town centre was proclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Consequently, this year is being celebrated as “2006 World Macau Heritage Year”.

In other developments Ms Tse Heng Sai said that access is set to change for Australian visitors.  Most Australians currently fly to Hong Kong and then use the TurboJet Sea Express Ferry service that departs from the new Cross Border Passenger Ferry Terminal and arrives after 45 minutes at the Macau Ferry Terminal.  (This facility saves time as there is no need to clear Hong Kong Customs and Immigration.)

An even more direct way of reaching Macau is set to be launched later this year as Viva Macau has announced its intention to begin charter flights to Sydney in December.  Final details have yet to be revealed – and no office has yet opened in Sydney – although a three times a week service using an Airbus A320 is one option.

Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel & Lifestyle Correspondent