Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said yesterday that the government’s buy-one-get-one-free offers for cross-border transportation services launched in the middle of April between Hong Kong and Macau will end on Friday, but more resources will be spent on attracting overseas tourists instead.
Senna Fernandes made the remarks yesterday on the sidelines of an opening ceremony for a local community tourism expansion project in Rua do Cunha, adding that as the Hong Kong tourism market has stabilised, the offer will no longer be extended and MGTO will focus on attracting more overseas visitors.
Senna Fernandes underlined that the MGTO is planning to launch another buy-one-get-one-free offer for overseas transportation services, including direct entry to Macau or via Hong Kong, adding that MGTO will cooperate with different airlines on the promotion.
According to Senna Fernandes, the tourism sectors in Singapore and Malaysia have indicated that MGTO can organise small-scale activities for its promotions there, adding that the government is planning to organise roadshows similar to those previously organised by MGTO across the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in Singapore and Malaysia, and will also invite tourism sector representatives from Indonesia to Macau.
Senna Fernandes pointed out that during the four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday from Thursday through the weekend, over 100,000 visitor arrivals were recorded per day arriving in Macau on two consecutive days, which she described as “very satisfying”.
As for the apparent reluctance of Japanese tourists to visit Macau at the moment, Senna Fernandes attributed the predicament to the devaluation of the yen, adding that MGTO is still preparing promotional activities there to further promote Macau as a tourist destination.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes talks to reporters on the sidelines of an opening ceremony in Rua do Cunha yesterday. – Photo courtesy of TDM
