PETALING JAYA: The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is targeting Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, as a growing market for tourism.
This year, it is organising a major promotional event in Kuala Lumpur near here to bolster Macao's presence and attract more international visitors.
The event, named Experience Macao, from today until July 8, js aimed at expanding Macao's visitor base through various promotional channels.
The roadshow was inaugurated at the Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall today, attended by key figures from Malaysia and Macao tourism industries.
MGTO deputy director Wai Tong Cheng said the roadshow was to introduce Macao's best tourism products and experiences to Malaysians.
"We (MGTO) aim to entice more Malaysians to visit Macao and discover all that our city has to offer," he said.
"We will provide many promotions to Malaysians and urge them to plan as soon as possible for a summer vacation in Macao.
"This is the second roadshow we have organised. Last year, we held the same roadshow but in Kuala Lumpur. Since it was successful, we felt we should hold another one this year," he told the New Straits Times.
He emphasised that tourism was important to Macao as it was the main contributor to its economy.
He said Malaysia ranked as Macao's fourth largest international visitor market and was among its seven major visitor markets.
The latest statistics published by the Statistics and Census Service revealed that in the first five months of 2024, Macao had registered 928,000 inbound package tour visitors.
The number of international group travellers surged by 14-fold to 88,000, suggesting the popularity of group tours among visitors, which is a 2.3-fold increase year-on-year.
"For the past year, we received 28 million visitors worldwide while in the first five months of this year, we received more than 14 million visitors.
"Our target is to surpass 33 million visitors by year end.
"We are collaborating with Malaysian tourism players and retail brands to enhance Macao's visibility, both online and offline, to attract more Malaysian tourists," he added.
The Experience Macao roadshow will feature the latest travel information, diverse tourism offerings, and special packages designed to facilitate Malaysians in planning their trip to Macao.
Wai expressed Macao's enthusiasm in welcoming Malaysians to the roadshow.
"We hope Malaysians will consider attending the event to learn more about what our city has to offer," he said.
The roadshow is a joint effort with the Hengqin Economic Development Bureau, along with Macao's travel trade and six integrated resort enterprises.
It underscores Macao's commitment to strengthening its ties with Malaysia and promoting tourism through collaborative initiatives.
Overall, the MGTO's initiative underscores Macao's strategic focus on Southeast Asia as a vital market for tourism growth, leveraging promotional events like the roadshow to expand its international visitor base and showcase its tourism offerings.
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