Macau has developed itself with the “right infrastructure” and is becoming a “preferred destination” for visitors, Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) Secretary-General and Vice Chairwoman Pansy Ho Chiu King said during a GTEF press conference at MGM Cotai yesterday.
Ho, group executive chairperson of Shun Tak Holdings and co-chairperson of MGM China Holdings, made the comments when she was asked by a reporter how Macau could provide quality tourism as local streets are overcrowded and tourists find it difficult to walk around, after she had told the press conference that Macau was aiming for quality tourism
“When I go around, talk about the forum and invite people to come to visit Macau and, in fact, experience [Macau], to see for themselves the advancement of Macau over the past 20 some years, it’s really transforming itself,” Ho said in English.
“A lot of people who might have not visited Macau for some time or who might have never come to visit Macau… would have thought that Macau is just a casino town. If their interests [were] more on cultural things…then Macau would not have been on their agenda,” Ho said, adding that the city has already developed with the “right infrastructure” and was becoming a “preferred destination” for tourists.
“We have built a lot of hardware…since [the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region in 1999], we have built new and modern facilities to couple with our heritage…these infrastructures are important because without these facilities, we would not have been able to see the capacity growth in terms of catering to more visitations,” Ho said.
“When we talk about culture, it should not be in fact just limited to a few architectural buildings or facilities. We should continue to work on how to utilise our cultural backdrop, and heritage influence,” Ho added.
Expiry of subconcession
Meanwhile, Ho, the daughter of nonagenarian gaming tycoon Stanley Ho Hung Sun, told reporters on the sidelines of the press conference that MGM was already in contact with the local government about the expiry of MGM Grand Paradise’s subconcession slated for 2020, when the gaming concession of SJM, which signed the subconcession deal with MGM in 2005, also expires. The city’s two other concessions (Wynn and Galaxy) and subconcessions (Melco and Sands) expire in 2022.
Ho said that it was preferable for all gaming concessions and subconcessions to expire at the same time.
US operators
Ho also said she hoped that the central government could look at Macau’s US-owned gaming companies as local examples of trustworthy business cooperation.
Ho’s remarks came amidst speculation that Macau’s US-owned casino operators could become the target of retaliation by Beijing if the current Sino-US trade row further deteriorates.
Three of Macau’s casino operators are US-owned: MGM, Wynn and Sands. While Melco Resorts & Entertainment is not owned by US interests, it is listed on the New York Stock.
Golden Week visitor arrivals up 7.2 pct
Meanwhile, according to figures released by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) yesterday, Macau recorded 895,242 visitor arrivals during the mainland’s seven-day Golden Week holiday, recording a year-on-year rise of 7.2 percent. About 734,000 visitor arrivals were from the mainland, with a year-on-year increase of 14 percent. However, visitor arrivals from Hong Kong and Taiwan dropped by 2.7 percent and 23.6 percent respectively to about 101,000 and around 12,000 while the number of foreign visitor arrivals stood at around 45,000, down 33.6 percent.
Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) Secretary-General and Vice Chairperson Pansy Ho Chiu King speaks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference at MGM Cotai. Photo: Joel Chu
