Chongqing Macau Week, which was supposed to take place this month, has been postponed sine die due to a schedule clash with a event that will be held by the Chongqing municipal government in the megacity, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said on the sidelines of yesterday’s opening ceremony of the Macau Grand Prix Museum in Zape.
Senna Fernandes said that Chongqing government contacted MGTO and said that an event in municipality will be taking place at the same time as the previously arranged Chongqing Macau Week so that their government officials may not be able to attend the event. Therefore MGTO decided to postpone the event to a later date. She said that MGTO is planning to reschedule the event in September because Chongqing gets extremely hot in July and August. She added that nothing was set in stone yet and she would notify the public when a new date is set.
According to Senna Fernandes, besides Shanghai and Chongqing, there will be other Macau Week roadshows in Chengdu, Taiyuan, Tianjin and Xiamen. She said that with Chongqing’s roadshow being cancelled the next Macau Week will be held in Xiamen in August. She said that there will be no Macau Week in July because many cities are having celebratory events for the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) 100th anniversary in that month.
The CPC was founded in Shanghai on July 23, 1921.
When asked how Guangdong’s COVID-19 pandemic situation affected the number of Macau’s visitor arrivals, Senna Fernandes said that the number dropped on Sunday and Monday. She noted that on Sunday, the number of visitor arrivals dropped to 16,000 and on Monday it was around 20,000. She said that other days last month recorded around 25,000-30,000 visitor arrivals. She said that MGTO is observing the COVID-19 situation in Guangdong province, as the situation this month will determine the number visitor arrivals in the summer.
Senna Fernandes said that MGTO has been promoting the Macau Week in several mainland cities that have direct flights to Macau. She added that those visitors are usually the ones who will stay longer in Macau.
Grand Lisboa and Lisboeta
Senna Fernandes also said that Grand Lisboa Palace is in the last stage of obtaining a hotel licence. She said that it could officially open soon but she did not know the exact date as it involves other government entities.
Senna Fernandes also pointed out that the Lisboeta obtained its licence late last year therefore it is currently one of Macau’s quarantine hotels. She said that she wanted to thank Lisboeta and other quarantine hotels for providing their premises for people in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. She acknowledged that the COVID-19 prevention measures vary from time to time, therefore she was grateful that the hotels have been able to adapt so quickly.
Macau Grand Prix Museum opening
The Macau Grand Prix Museum officially opened yesterday. Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong, and Senna Fernandes officiated over the lion eye-dotting ceremony and joined other guests for a group photo in front of the museum in Zape.
According to an MGTO statement yesterday, during the trial operation between late March and May, the museum received close to 12,000 visitors, including 33 delegations from 140 entities and organisations from the tourism sector, the media, and government entities. The statement noted that questionnaires showed that visitors deemed the exhibits and guided tour service “most satisfactory” at the museum, while the most popular interactive games are G-Force Challenge, MotoVR Race Experience, and Pit Garage.
The statement said that at present, the maximum capacity of the museum is 2,200 visitors per day, adding that in line with the Health Bureau’s (SSM) COVID-19 pandemic measures, the museum has a daily quota of 1,100 visitors for the public this month, based on a maximum capacity of 284 visitors every two hours.
The museum strictly follows the SSM pandemic prevention guidelines, the statement underlined, adding that visitors are required to wear facemasks throughout their visit, have their temperature checked and present their Macau Health Code for the day of entry.
The statement said that the museum is now selling its admission tickets at full price, adding that timed-entry tickets can be purchased 30 days in advance and up to one day before the visit on the official website, while immediate entry tickets are available for sale at the museum.
The opening hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
For the latest information and online ticketing, please visit the Macau Grand Prix Museum’s official website at mgpm.macaotourism.gov.mo
MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes addresses the opening ceremony of the Macau Grand Prix Museum yesterday.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (centre), Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong (left) and Senna Fernandes officiate the lion eye-dotting ceremony outside the Macau Grand Prix Museum in Zape yesterday. Photos: MGTO
