Lawmaker Ron Lam U Tou has pointed out in a written interpellation that while Macau has 156 tour guides proficient in English, 78 in Japanese, 28 in Korean, and 22 in Thai, there are only a few capable of other “minor languages” and relatively few tourism-related language courses available at local education establishments, and the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) noted in its response last month that the Macao Tourism University (UTM) attempted to launch training courses for “minor” languages last year in response to perceived market demand, but most were unable to proceed due to insufficient enrolment.
Generally, a “minor language” refers to one that is spoken by fewer people than the speakers of a major language, such as Chinese and English, often with limited use in international communication, education and media, and is an official language in just one or only a few countries.
According to Lam’s interpellation submitted to MGTO on January 24, it had issued 1,824 tourist guide passes as of that month, with some tourist guides registered as proficient in multiple languages or dialects. According to MGTO data available as of May 31 last year, the number of tourist guides registered to provide services in various languages or dialects included 785 in Cantonese, 1,189 in Putonghua (Mandarin), 156 in English, 78 in Japanese, 28 in Korean, and 22 in Thai, while the remaining languages accounted for single-digit numbers each.
The interpellation also cited figures from the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) regarding group tour arrivals last year, noting that the number of international group tour visitors increased by 1.6 times to 204,000, including a rise of 2.3 times in Korean group tour visitors to 91,000, and a threefold increase in Indian group tour visitors to 24,000.
Taking into account the changing mode of tourism, with an increasing number of tourists attaching greater importance to service quality and favouring tailor-made services and in-depth tours, Lam pointed out that there is new demand for both the quality and quantity of guided tours in Macau, particularly in light of the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s (IC) promotion of guided culture-related tours in recent years.
In a written reply to Lam’s interpellation, MGTO Director Maria Helenna de Senna Fernandes pledged last month to introduce more flexible language training options for tour guides, including a mixed mode of online and offline training to assist tour guides in their foreign language studies.
The MGTO statement also cited the University of Tourism as noting that due to the rapid development of the tourism market and the changing needs of travellers, the tertiary education institution began planning language programme enhancements and exchanges with various stakeholders last year, adding that after research and planning, it was decided that the course duration be shortened from about four quarters to about three quarters, with a view to enhancing overall training efficiency while allowing students to arrange their pace of learning according to their individual progress.
Regarding the language tests for tour guides, MGTO stated that they are available on a drop-in basis, except in April, August and December each year, when applications will be accepted.
The MGTO response to his interpellation was released by Lam on Saturday.
This undated file photo provided by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) last year shows foreign visitors taking photos in the city’s main square, Largo do Senado.
