Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Deputy Director Ricky Hoi Io Meng told reporters yesterday that restrictions on the provision of free snacks and drinks by the city’s casinos should not have a big impact on visitor numbers.
Hoi made the remarks after the Asia Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) 2024’s opening ceremony at the Galaxy international Convention Centre (GICC) in Cotai.
Referring to last weekend’s visitor arrival figures, Hoi noted that there were over 110,000 tourists a day. “When compared with the past weekends, we didn’t notice a drop in the number of tourists”, Hoi pointed out.
Hoi added that most tourists do not come to the city for the free food offered at the casinos, noting that MGTO has found that there are many who opt to visit various neighbourhoods to enjoy food and cafes there.
Meanwhile, Hoi noted that MGTO has confirmed 20 cases of illegal tours since the reopening of the border last year, which have been reported to the respective authorities in the mainland for follow up and investigation.
“Here in Macau, our colleagues have several policies or methods to combat these kinds of illegal tours”, Hoi said. These include MGTO officials visiting places like the Barrier Gate or areas like the Ruins of St. Paul’s to observe and investigate if there are illegal tours there, cooperating with the Public Security Police (PSP), and maintaining the communication channel MGTO has already built up with the mainland and even with Hong Kong so that illegal tours can be detected and reported, according to Hoi.
Roadshows are being held to attract foreign visitors, Hoi said, noting that MGTO is expecting more foreign visitors to arrive in Macau. “We still stick to the same forecast of having two million international visitors throughout this year”.
MGTO Deputy Director speaks with reporters at Galaxy International Convention Centre (GICC) in Cotai after yesterday’s opening ceremony. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
