Macau aims to attract three million overseas tourists this year, with officials planning a major promotional campaign across global media outlets, social platforms like TikTok, and travel websites such as Agoda and Booking.com.
This initiative represents a significant investment of MOP235 million ($29 million) and is scheduled to launch in August.
“We will work with major international media organisations, such as the BBC and CNN, to promote Macau. The government will work with a variety of Macau companies to participate in the program,” said Helen Senna Fernandes, director of the Macau government tourism office (MGTO), as per media reports.
Last year, Macau saw 1.5 million foreign tourists, accounting for 5.17% of total visitors, following the reopening of its borders on January 8. The majority of arrivals, around 67.5%, were from the Chinese mainland, with others coming from Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Macau is now expanding its focus to attract visitors from Northeast and Southeast Asia and European markets. In an interview with Travel Daily News, Fernandes emphasized that the city’s attractions extend beyond its dominant gaming industry.
“We participated in travel fairs in Tokyo, Singapore and Jakarta and we have events planned in Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India and Dubai. We are also engaging with European travel agencies,” she said.
As part of the strategy, Macau’s six major casino operators have committed to investing MOP108.7 billion in non-gaming attractions and promoting them internationally. This initiative aligns with recommendations from a 2020 report by Deloitte, commissioned by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), which suggested that the pandemic provided an opportunity to optimize Macau’s tourism industry structure and create a more resilient model.
Deloitte’s study recommended promoting maritime and ecological tours and developing “tourism-plus” initiatives, aiming to diversify Macau’s appeal beyond gaming. It also highlighted the need to improve online media outreach and assess the effectiveness of marketing strategies targeting high-value tourists.
Through June, Macau welcomed nearly 1.17 million international visitors, a 146.4% increase from the same period last year, reaching approximately 67.2% of the first-half figures from 2019.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2024/07/24/73280-macau-targets-three-million-overseas-tourists-with-major-promotional-campaign
