The annual Macao International Cities of Gastronomy Carnival will be held at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf in Nape from June 14-23, featuring 100 food booths and three “highlights”, namely “International Gastronomy Avenue”, “City of Gastronomy Demonstrations” and the “International Gastronomy Forum in Macau”, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Deputy Director Ricky Hoi Io Meng announced yesterday.
A press conference about the “Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR Macao International Cities of Gastronomy Carnival” was held yesterday at the World Trade Centre Macau (WTCM) in Nape, during which the organisers including the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau ZAPE briefed representatives of the local catering sector and journalists about the upcoming event, saying that they expected the carnival to attract a daily average of 25,000 visitors.
About 100 food booths will be set up during the 10-day carnival, Hoi said, noting that in addition to the culinary delights of six UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy – Chaozhou, Chengdu, Huai’an, Shunde and Yangzhou in the mainland, as well as Macau, which was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in November 2017, MGTO has also invited representatives of renowned food and beverage merchants from other UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy of Asia, including Phuket in southern Thailand, Kuching in Malaysia, and Iloilo in Philippines, to present the delicacies of their localities, showcasing the unique gastronomical styles of their respective cities.
The “International Gastronomy Forum in Macau” will comprise 100 food booths, of which 54 will be local food booths, 46 from the Creative Cities of Gastronomy Cities of the mainland and three featuring Iloilo, Kuching and Phuket, while the remainder will be run by Macau’s six integrated resort (IR) operators, with a lounge area, games area, marina bar and “entertainment point”, according to the press conference.
Building a “Creative City of Gastronomy” has always been one of MGTO’s priorities, Hoi said in his speech, adding that due to this year’s double celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, MGTO has expanded the scale and enriched the content of the upcoming carnival to create a new high-quality and well-known event to further strengthen cooperation with stakeholders around the world, highlighting the advantages of Macau’s role as an international platform, and promoting the aspects of heritage, innovation and exchanges among the “UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy”.
The organisers are calling for applications from the local catering sector for the 54 food booths, noting that participation in the carnival is free of charge. The organisers will select the applicants based on their experience in participating in large-scale food-fests and the characteristics of their business, according to the press conference.
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Deputy Director Ricky Hoi Io Meng (centre), as well as Industry and Commerce Association of Macau ZAPE President Wu Tat Chong (left) and Vice President Wu Kam Hon look on during yesterday’s press conference about next month’s “Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR Macao International Cities of Gastronomy Carnival”, at the World Trade Centre Macau (WTCM) in Nape. – Photo: Yuki Lei
