MGTO exploring new ticket incentive to attract tourists
Macau tourism chief Helena de Senna Fernandes said authorities are considering reintroducing a flight ticket discount scheme.
Macau.- Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is considering launching a new flight ticket discount scheme in collaboration with various airlines. The move comes after the conclusion of the previous “buy one, get one free” campaign for ferry, bus, and flight tickets on June 30.
According to MGTO director Helena de Senna Fernandes, the tourism office is exploring a new ticket incentive to attract more international tourists. No specific date has been mentioned, but Fernandes said the MGTO was working with airlines, including Cathay Pacific and Greater Bay Airlines, to participate in promotional activities in Thailand.
The collaboration would involve aspects such as advertising inside the plane and other joint efforts. The goal is to encourage visitors from different cities to visit Macau through promotions with partner airlines.
This initiative comes as the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) reported that 2,213,807 visitors arrived in Macau in May. That’s an increase of 268.5 per cent when compared to last year but down 2.6 per cent on month-on-month terms.
May’s figure represented 65 per cent of the tourist arrivals recorded in May 2019, prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. While international tourist arrivals constituted only 4.78 per cent of the total visitors in May, their presence reflected a positive sign of Macau’s ability to attract global travellers.
The cumulative number of visitor arrivals in the first five months of 2023 rose by 205.9 per cent compared to the same period last year to 9,436,215, representing 54 per cent of the January to May period in 2019.
