The 10-day 12th International Culture & Food Festival (ICFF) will start late tomorrow afternoon.
The festival schedule announced during a press conference by the organisers at Harbourview Hotel in the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf.
According to a statement distributed during the press conference, the theme for this year’s festival is “Celebration of the return of Macau to the Motherland & Christmas, Sharing Delicacies together in this city” (“回歸聖誕齊歡度，美味同享樂滿城”).
The festival’s opening ceremony will be held tomorrow at 5 p.m. The festival will end at night on Boxing Day, December 26.
According to the press conference, the festival comprises three elements: tourism, food, and creativity, with the aim of further promoting Macau’s designation as a “Creative City of Gastronomy” – and also in order to boost Macau’s consumption rate.
Macau was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017.
According to the statement, the ICFF has selected 101 local enterprises to set up food booths, and 90 percent of the participating enterprises have specialised food booths. Moreover, there will be Christmas decorations at the venue so that visitors can experience the festive atmosphere.
The festival is co-hosted by the Macau Association of Retailers & Tourism Services (MARTS), Association of Macau Small and Medium Enterprises of Catering (AMMEC), Macau Federal Commercial Association of Convention & Exhibition Industry, Travel Industry Council of Macau (TICM), Macau Development Promotion Association (APRODEM), Macau Fresh Fish Merchants Association, and Macau Association of Taxis.
ICFF Preparatory Committee and MARTS Chairman Frederick Yip Wing Fat, ICFF Preparatory Committee Vice-Chairman and AMMEC Chairman Ieong Weng Seng, Macau Federal Commercial Association of Convention & Exhibition Industry President Harry Wu Kam Hon, and MARTS Vice Chairman Lo Wang Chun, attended the press conference.
Yip pointed out that the enterprises’ participation this time is more active than in previous years, and about 40 percent of the participants are first-times.
Regarding discounts offered during the festival, Yip said that there will be a limited number of delicacies offered at prices of 10, 20, or 30 patacas each every day, as well as promotions such as a lucky draw for people who pay with e-payment systems.
Regarding COVID-19 prevention measures, the statement underlined that all visitors will need to wear a facemask and must only consume food at defined areas in the venue. Furthermore, participating enterprises must follow strict guidelines required by the government such as having their staff members’ temperatures checked, and they must be particularly careful in food handling and disinfection. Moreover, the statement stressed that visitors are encouraged to recycle and sort their waste.
Yip promised that tourists and locals can experience the festival in both a safe and “ardent” manner.
When asked on the sidelines of the press conference about non-local restaurants and enterprises’ participation, Yip said that the festival has a majority of local enterprises. However, he was quick to add that some of them will prepare non-local cuisines such as from Taiwan, the mainland, and Japan.
When asked about the estimated number of festivalgoers, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, Yip said he believed that there will be about 15,000 per day.
ICFF and MARTS Chairman Frederick Yip Wing Fat speaks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference at Harbourview Hotel about the 12th International Culture & Food Festival, which starts tomorrow at 5 p.m. Photo: Ula Cheang
International Culture & Food Festival (ICFF) Preparatory Committee and Macau Association of Retailers & Tourism Services (MARTS) Chairman Frederick Yip Wing Fat (seventh from left), flanked by the festival’s other co-organisers, poses during yesterday’s press conference at Harbourview Hotel in the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf. Photo: ICFF
