The 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival kicked off at The Venetian Macao yesterday, marking the fourth year of Sands China’s annual signature event, with visitations for the last three editions having exceeded 310,000 in total.
The carnival is held until Sunday at the Cotai Expo and comprises over 580 booths and 11 exhibition zones, with over 260,000 products on offer.
Aside from providing a free business platform for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Sands retailers, the largest sale event in Macau also features various family-friendly entertainment attractions, activities and games, as well as a food court with international cuisine, for locals and tourists.
In his speech yesterday, Sands China President Wilfred Wong Ying-wai said: “With travel restrictions easing, we have seen an abundance of visitors coming to Macau, and we eagerly anticipate welcoming visitors from around the world so that they can enjoy this remarkable shopping extravaganza”.
“In keeping with our founding principles, Sands China continues to provide this exhibition platform for exhibitors free of charge, and we are once again bringing international retail brands and local SMEs together to create synergistic effects, thereby empowering Macau brands to go global”, he added.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said in her speech that during the first quarter, “57 percent of tourist [non-gaming] spending in Macau went towards shopping, making it the largest segment of tourist expenditure. Therefore, providing high-quality shopping services is vital to elevating the travel experience of visitors to Macau”.
Senna Fernandes noted that MGTO is “pleased to see that Sands China and Macau’s retailers have shown strong support for retail fairs like this, which can help accelerate the recovery of the retail industry, enabling residents and tourists to enjoy the pleasures of shopping while promoting the integration of ‘tourism+ shopping.’”
The carnival is open from noon to 10 p.m. during the period. Admission is free. More details can be found on https://en.sandsresortsmacao.com/shopping/sands-shopping-carnival-2023.html
Sands China President Wilfred Wong Ying-wai (right), accompanied by Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes (centre), speaks to a booth attendant during the VIP Tour of the 2023 Sands Shopping Carnival yesterday. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
