The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said in its recent reply to a written interpellation submitted by directly-elected lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng that the bureau will launch more Macau-Hengqin study tours to promote “Tourism + Education”.
Wong asked in her interpellation about the government’s cooperation plans with Hengqin in organising study tours, which was submitted on May 31, and the reply from MGTO was made on June 27, which was sent to the media last week, now being available on the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) website.
MGTO said in the reply that the mainland’s new policy allows mainland Chinese visitors joining Hengqin-Macau tours to make multiple round trips between Hengqin and Macau via the Hengqin checkpoint within seven days using the same group travel permit, giving the bureau further opportunities to explore news aspects of study-orientated tourism.
According to the reply, MGTO had organised about 50 senior high school students from 28 Hong Kong secondary schools in February to participate in the study tour groups, so that the students could experience Macau’s history, scientific development and enrich the “tourism + learning” elements.
MGTO also organised a cultural and research exchange museum tour between Macau and the mainland during the 12th Macau International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) in April to facilitate mainland tourism enterprises and cultural institutions to connect with the local tourism sector and share their experience in setting up research tour routes.
In addition, the bureau also launched a tour routes competition in April to enhance the potential of the tourism industry to research the feasibility of new tourism products, and further promote the cross-border integration of “tourism +”.
The bureau said in the statement that it will continue to explore new research projects and provide diversified learning and experience opportunities based on the advantages that Macau can provide in terms of group travel resources in Macau and the mainland by highlighting the unique characteristics of Macau’s culture, history, architecture, cuisine, Chinese medicine and patriotic education based on the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.
This undated file photo downloaded from the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) website last night shows directly-elected lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng.
