The Macau SAR government is planning to strengthen tourism development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing its reliance on Hong Kong International Airport.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ao Ieong U, presented at the Q&A session at the Legislative Assembly on Monday. She reiterated that Macau is pushing the mutual recognition of its health code system with mainland China, but highlighted that preventive measures against COVID-19 might become a “new normal” and would sustain over a period of time.
A series of limitations on Macau’s tourism industries were outlined due to the impact of the pandemic, such as the reliance on visitors from mainland China and flights into Hong Kong.
“Macau recorded double-digit growth of international visitors in the first half of 2019. However, international visitors significantly dropped in the second half of last year, influenced by the situation in Hong Kong,” said Director of Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.
“We have to review our current civil aviation network to expand our international markets, which is a long-term goal for us.”
As a result, Macau is looking at utilizing the GBA’s aircraft networks to promote joint-tourism products with cities in the GBA. The government expects travel styles and trends will be significantly changed around the world following the COVID-19 pandemic and also needs to review its civil aviation planning for long-term development.
To help the SAR’s languishing tourism industry recover, more measures will be launched soon after the pandemic is over.
The annual “Explore the Light” festival for example, will now be held in September 2020, three months earlier than usual. Local tour operators, travel agencies and hotels will also receive support and subsidies in the near future. The government even plans to hold international sporting events every month in order to promote “sports tourism” in Macau, it said.
