Macau casinos present at first international roadshow since pandemic

The Lisbon roadshow showcases initiatives to broaden the tourist market.

Macau.- The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has hosted the Experience Macao Unlimited roadshow in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Attended by tourism authorities, representatives from the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and all six of Macau’s casino operators, its the first such event since the pandemic.

The roadshow promoted Macau to Portuguese and other European tourists, with MGTO representatives meeting with Portuguese travel agencies and discussing potential participation in tourism fairs and congresses. While the MGTO does not plan to open a promotional office in Portugal, the MGTO highlighted the importance of digital marketing and partnerships with Portuguese partners to reach the European market.

The event aimed to showcase Macau’s offerings to international tourists, which accounted for only 9-10 per cent of visitors pre-pandemic. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said that although there was no set goal for the percentage of international visitors, it was in negotiations with airlines to increase direct flights to Macau from key destinations.

Fernandes noted that this was an issue not just in Macau, but in other cities as well, with the recovery of the aviation sector remaining slow. The MGTO’s main focus is still on attracting Asian tourists due to established direct flights, is working with travel agencies and media in countries like South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan to expand its reach. 

Despite the challenges, there have been positive signs of recovery for Macau’s tourism industry, with a year-on-year increase of 170 per cent in passenger volume in the first quarter of 2023. Macau received over 4.96m visitors in the first quarter of 2023. 1.5 million of them from Hong Kong.

See also: Nearly 3 million attend Macau promotional roadshows