Interviews by Armindo Neves
About a fortnight after the government’s 10-day ‘ZAPE Taste Jam’ market concluded, the event, according to a Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) statement on August 15, aimed to attract visitors to the district for entertainment and shopping and benefit its businesses and give tourism and the night-time economy a badly needed boost, considering that several so-called “satellite casinos” there are slated to close for good by the end of the year.
MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes told reporters on August 21 that the market recorded 36,000 visitors in its first four days, with an estimated revenue of 200,000 patacas. The total budget for the entire event was 4.6 million patacas, with the office covering 3.6 million patacas and the Macau Association of Returned Overseas Chinese contributing the remaining one million patacas, she said.
A Western pharmacy owner told the Post on Thursday that the market’s effect on boosting the surrounding economy was limited. Overall foot traffic in Zape (the Portuguese acronym for Outer Harbour Land Reclamation Zone) did not see a significant increase, he said, on the contrary, he was quick add, the temporary market stalls ended up disrupting regular customer flow by impeding pedestrian traffic and occupying public space, he said.
The market, the owner said, which consisted primarily of food and beverage stalls, occupied about three-quarters of the public pathway, he said, asking not be named. Although the market was able to attract customers to spend some money there, it failed to effectively benefit the surrounding businesses, he said.
The owner noted that foot traffic saw a slight recovery after the market concluded. He urged the government to consider that future events needed to place a greater emphasis on integrating with the community’s existing commercial ecosystem to avoid planning flaws that make the event feel “out of place.”
Meanwhile, the manager of a hotpot restaurant in Zape told the Post that although foot traffic in the surrounding area increased during the 10 days of the market, the number of customers who actually entered his restaurant to dine did not see any improvement. Consumers were predominantly focused on the market itself, he said, also asking to remain anonymous.
Furthermore, the manager pointed out that foot traffic quickly declined after the market concluded, providing no substantial and lasting benefits to the surrounding businesses.
He pointed that while the event succeeded in generating a short-term buzz, it ultimately failed to translate its temporary popularity into consumer spending for adjacent shops. The manager recommended that future events needed to strengthen collaboration with neighbouring merchants to create a more synergistic effect.
Pedestrians walk along a car-free street in Zape on Thursday. The government-sponsored 10-day “ZAPE Taste Jam” took place in the street last month. – Photo: Armindo Neves
