Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes told reporters yesterday that ferry routes for tourists between Macau and some islands in Zhuhai will soon be launched, adding she believed that the routes can meet the public’s demand for diverse tourism products that further enrich Macau’s leisure tourism while, at the same time, enhancing the tourism linkages between Macau and Zhuhai, as well as other mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The Zhuhai islands-Macau tourist routes, which Senna Fernandes said could be launched before next month, will offer boat trips from Macau to some islands in Zhuhai, playing an important role in promoting Macau’s “multi-destination” tourism products.
Zhuhai is rich in island resources, with each of its islands such as Dong’ao Island and Wailingding Island having their own characteristics. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, MGTO expressed its desire to cooperate with the Zhuhai government in connecting the two cities’ scenic spots in the long run, enriching their respective tourism attractions.
According to Senna Fernandes, MGTO has paid fact-finding visits to some of the islands in Zhuhai, in conjunction with Macau’s travel trade.
According to official data, Zhuhai comprises 146 islands.
Macau receives daily average of ‘3,000 to 4,000’ int’l visitor arrivals
Meanwhile, Senna Fernandes pointed out that the average number of international visitor arrivals in Macau has gradually picked up, from about 1,000 per day at the beginning of this year to “3,000 to 4,000” per day recently, and more than 5,000 per day on certain days. She noted that her office will further step up overseas marketing, including participation in overseas travel fairs and cooperation with local travel agencies to sell travel packages.
In view of the fact that local travel agencies need time to re-establish contact and cooperation with their counterparts overseas after the COVID-19 pandemic, MGTO decided to extend its subsidy scheme for travel agencies to attract tourists from the Taiwan region and foreign countries until the end of this year, according to Senna Fernandes, who noted that MGTO will also continue to launch tourism promotion campaigns targeting Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as South Korea in the hope of establishing relationships with their travel agencies.
The government’s subsidy scheme for tour groups got off the ground early this year, in which a subsidy of up to 400 patacas for each overnight visitor in a tour group from the mainland and Taiwan, as well as a subsidy of up to 500 patacas for each foreign visitor, will be given to local travel agencies that organise the tours in Macau.
In addition, the travel agency industry in Indonesia will soon organise a delegation to visit Macau, Senna Fernandes said, adding she had received news that direct flights to Indonesia from Macau would begin in the future.
Senna Fernandes made the remarks on the sidelines of yesterday’s kick-off ceremony of the Julong Artistic Gathering under the public Cultural Development Fund’s Arts and Cultural Performance Programme on Travessa da Dorna.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes speaks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s artistic event on Travessa da Dorna. – Photo: Yuki Lei
