Themed “Meet at MITE: Discovery, Networking, Interaction!”, the 12th Macau International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) is slated to take place on April 26-28 at the Venetian’s Cotai Expo Halls A, B and C with free admission, featuring seven attractions, including the “Gastronomy Pavilion and The Cellar Duet” which celebrates the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, according to a press conference at the Macau World Trade Centre (MWTC) in Nape yesterday. According to the press conference, the expo’s seven attractions consist of:
1. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) via the “Gastronomy Pavilion and The Cellar Duet”;
2. The “1+4 Pavilion” and “New Media Matrix” aim to foster strategic industry development;
3. Promoting new tourism development in Macau and Hengqin through “One Exhibition, Two Cities”;
4. Creating a new window for display with “Belt and Road Products Pavilion”;
5. Powering up the main engine for consumption through combined measures of quality, volume & yield enhancement;
6. The themed “Pavilion of Cultural Museums and Educational Tourism” aims to tap into the popularity and potential of the educational travel market;
7. Taking multiple measures for a sustainable “Green and Low-carbon Travel Expo”.
The press conference noted that the three-day event aims to deepen integration across “tourism+” and enrich Macau’s dynamics as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure in line with the local government’s development strategy of “1+4”.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes underlined at the press conference that the exhibition area has been expanded to 30,000 square metres, 7,000 more than last year. She also said that so far over 600 exhibitors and about 500 buyers have signed up for participation, adding that the fair will feature over 1,300 booths.
The government’s “1+4” development strategy aims for appropriate economic diversification by promoting four main industries – big health, modern finance, high-tech, conventions and exhibitions, as well as culture and sport.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Beijing, the expo is organised by the MGTO in conjunction with the Macau Travel Agency Association.
MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said in a speech during yesterday’s press conference that MGTO constantly seeks progress and innovation, and also endeavours to create platforms, including expos, that integrate diverse elements of “tourism+”.
Tourism+ includes taking various measures to attract tourists to Macau and extend their stay, explore the overseas tourist market, boost the economic vitality of the community, and participate in key work such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, according to previous MGTO statements.
According to Senna Fernandes, a budget of 33.8 million patacas has been earmarked for this year’s expo, an increase of 6 percent over last year’s 31.8 million patacas. She also noted that the “One Exhibition, Two Cities” exhibition zone, which includes an outdoor camping site in Hengqin, is being implemented to promote new tourism developments in Macau and Hengqin, aiming to enhance collaboration between the two adjoining cities. The organisers said they expect 37,000 visitors to the three-day expo.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes (front, seventh from the right) and other officials and representatives pose before yesterday’s 12th MITE press conference at the Macau World Trade Centre (MWTC) in Nape yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
