Tourism in Macau: MGTO to investigate claims of casino entry fee for tourists

A social media post had claimed that the Venetian Macao was charging an entry fee.

Macau.- Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of Macau’s Government Tourism Office (MGTO), has announced the launch of an investigation into claims on Chinese social media that casinos were charging an entry fee for tourists. Macau Business claims to have seen a post on Xiaohongshu that said the Venician Macao was charging MOP200 (US$25) to enter.

Fernandes appears to suggest that travel agencies may have been spreading misinformation and warned that the MGTO may issue fines or even withdraw licences if that’s the case. She said penalties would be also imposed if unauthorised tour guides were found to be involved. She urged travellers to avoid low-budget tours.

A Legislative Assembly committee is examining proposed legislation against “zero-cost” tours, which often rely on tourists making purchases to generate commissions. Operators could face fines ranging from MOP50,000 (US$6,218) to MOP70,000 under the proposed law.

Macau received 25.94 million tourists in the first nine months of the year. That’s a rise of 30.2 per cent year-on-year and a rebound to 85.9 per cent of the pre-Covid volume in 2019. The city has a target of 30 million tourists in 2024.

See also: Over 70,000 discounted flight tickets booked in Q2