News

IFT 2016/17 Degree Programme Student Orientation Ceremony was held on 18 August with the presence of IFT faculty, bachelor degree programme freshmen and exchange students. President of IFT, Dr. Fanny Vong presented her warmest welcome to the new comers during the ceremony. Dr. Vong encouraged the 426 new students to be well equipped in these 4 years of study and be ready for the tourism development of Macao and opportunities in the years ahead. Established in 1995, IFT has made significant progress and achievements in various areas, increasing student intake, enhancing quality and variety of programmes and courses, as well as pursuing excellence in teaching and research over the years. Now IFT has grown as an internationally recognised institution and the number of our degree programme students has increased by more than 13 times to around 1,600. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. Until now, over 6,000 degree and higher diploma students have graduated, while an average of 20,000 people participate in its professional training courses every year. IFT creates a multi-cultural learning and teaching environment for the students, with faculty members from 19 countries and regions around the world. For this academic year, international and exchange freshmen are from Austria, Chinese Hong Kong, Chinese Taiwan, Finland, France, Japan, Mainland China, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK and USA. In order to cope with whole-person development education model, IFT adopts a balanced curriculum of both theories and practices. It emphasises on student quality nurturing and always supports students to organise real hands on projects, among which some are charitable events. Through learning by action, students not only can help the needy and the community, but also put theories into practices. The experience of learning to work with people from different background and cultures sharpens their interpersonal skills. Besides, IFT encourages students to participate in extra-curricular activities and various overseas internship and exchange programmes, so that their 4-year university life could further flourish. Dr. Vong also hoped that students could develop vital professional abilities, including teamwork spirit, organisational skill, time management skill, communication skill, as well as positive attitude that can help them to overcome challenges and develop them into knowledgeable, competent and hirable elites. All of the freshmen attending the ceremony have gone through a competitive and rigorous admission examination and interview processes before being selected by the Institute. Being one of the public tertiary institutions in Macao, IFT will continue to cultivate tourism professionals and offer more dynamic courses to cope with the tourism development of Macao. During the ceremony, the Institute Scholarship was presented to its students.
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Launched by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) last November, the “Macao Tourism Data plus” (“MTD plus”) is now further optimized and equipped with three additional features for users to obtain Macao’s tourism figures and statistics more conveniently. The platform introduces three new features: 1. Portuguese version: Portuguese is now not only available as a display language on the user interface of “MTD plus”, but users can also generate data and graphs with Portuguese captions; 2. Subscription service: Interested users can regularly receive Macao’s latest tourism figures and information through subscription; 3. User manual: Users can learn how to use the website’s key features from the user manual. At present, “MTD plus” features interactive data, tourism statistics tables, E-publications, other tourism statistics, distribution maps of visitor source markets as well as tourism situation video. In addition, five different indicators are available: total visitor arrivals, source markets, modes of transport, average length of stay of visitors and hotel overnight guests. “MTD plus” is available on the website: http://mtdplus.macaotourism.gov.mo or Macao Tourism Industry Net: http://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo to all users from various sectors. In the future, MGTO will keep optimizing and enhancing the features of “MTD plus” so as to offer more comprehensive and convenient service for data enquiry.
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The 30th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held from 1 to 30 October. Considering the ticketing demand and the public’s overwhelming response, IC will offer an additional performance of the chamber opera A Dream of Fragrancy. The tickets for this additional performance will be on sale from tomorrow, 19 August, from 10am through the Macau Ticketing Network. In order to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the great playwright Tang Xianzu, the Festival has specially invited several local art and culture professionals to produce the first local chamber opera, entitled A Dream of Fragrancy. The opera tells the story of the official Tang Xianzu, who was demoted to a position in a city in southern China. During the journey, Tang Xianzu stops in Macao and meets a Portuguese girl, Maria. They develop a heart-warming relationship while touring around the city. This opera, featuring exquisite arias, is a show not to be missed and has been sought-after by the public. Nearly all tickets for the two performances have been sold out since the tickets went on sale. The Organizer therefore decided to offer one additional performance of the opera to be held on Sunday, 16 October, at 3pm, at Dom Pedro V Theatre. This edition of the MIMF also features a number of excellent performances highly appreciated by music lovers. It kicks off with a magnificent production of Giacomo Puccini’s opera in three acts Turandot, a tragic story featuring fascinating and popular arias such as Nessun Dorma as well as Chinese folk melodies like Jasmine Flower. World-class conductor Valery Gergiev will lead the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in two fantastic concerts, in which the programmes of The Russian Legends not only reflects the tremendous change in the composing attitude and style of D. Shostakovich, but also unfolds his life experience and even the landscape of Western society in the 20th century. Tickets for the additional performance of the opera A Dream of Fragrancy are priced at MOP250 and MOP200. Holders of BOC Multi-Currency Credit Card or BOC card can enjoy an exclusive 30% discount on tickets for designated performances; Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card holders can enjoy 50% discount on ticket purchases (one discounted ticket per performance per card holder only). Only a few tickets are available for some of the performances through the Macau Ticketing Network. For more details on the programme, please visit the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.
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The 4th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (“MITE”) will come on stage from 2 to 4 September. Taking up the role of organizer for the first time, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) held a press conference today (18 August) to unveil the event program. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong and President of Macau Travel Agency Association, Lao Nga Wong, were present in the press conference together with others. This year, MITE is supported by China National Tourism Administration, organized by MGTO for the first time and coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association. The co-organizers include the Macao Chamber of Commerce, Macao Federation of Trade Unions, the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, the Women’s General Association of Macau, Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau, Travel Industry Council of Macau and Association of Macao Tourist Agents. Senna Fernandes remarked, “MGTO has always been a supporter of the Expo. We are very glad to take up the role of organizer for the first time to forge a platform for members of the travel trade and other related sectors from various destinations to connect with each other, build partnerships and boost visitation together.” She hopes that various participating entities can join hands to present a prominent expo which manifests Macao’s capability to organize travel fairs professionally and the city’s competitive advantages as an international travel destination in diverse aspects. She looks forward to seeing Macao shine as a platform in the event with a wealth of new opportunities in store for tourism and related sectors to prosper, in line with Macao’s goal to become a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. Coming to its 4th edition, MITE is a significant annual gathering for tourism professionals, dedicated to building a platform for participants from tourism and other related sectors at home and abroad to explore business opportunities and boost visitation together. Held at Hall D, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao this year, the event not only covers six key elements of the tourism industry — dining, accommodation, transportation, entertainment, sightseeing and shopping, but also features travel-related service, travel media, tourism electronic commerce and technology in tourism among others. The Expo will update exhibitors and industry professionals with the latest news in the local and overseas industry as a platform for exchange and product sale, and provide useful travel tips for travel enthusiasts. The program of the 4th MITE features an array of highlights such as seminars, a studio showing tourism videos, sales for FIT travel products, as well as folk custom and specialty show. The seminars will cover analysis of new trends of FIT in the Asia-Pacific region, smart tourism development and internet application, introduction of FIT travel via high-speed railway and promotion of hot tourist spots in 2016. Distinguished speakers are invited to share their foresight on the topics concerned. In addition, China - Portugal Tourism Promotion Seminar & Travel Mart will be held to facilitate interchanges among tourism operators from China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Up to date, over 135 enterprises and entities from 15 countries and regions have confirmed their participation as exhibitors, including travel agencies, hotels, resorts, scenic spot operators and tourism-related businesses, etc. MGTO has taken progressive steps to promote the 4th MITE through different publicity channels including TV commercial, radio, newspaper, bus and outdoor advertisements, etc. Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. (TDM) and Macau Asia Satellite Television Company, Limited (MASTV) are the media partners with the 4th MITE. Through close collaboration with the travel trade and other related sectors, MGTO has organized and co-organized a range of mega events and activities in recent years, seeking to promote the destination through a variety of local, regional and international events. Moreover, the Office strives to radiate Macao’s impact as a platform, attract various market segments and raise the city’s international profile. The endeavors are made to support Macao reaching the goal to become a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
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The Cultural Affairs Bureau, in cooperation with several governmental departments, will proceed to re-plan and integrate the five Portuguese buildings of the Taipa Houses-Museum and its surrounding area, in order to optimize the cultural facilities and functionality of this area, aiming to create a cultural area for both leisure and information. The five Portuguese buildings of the Taipa Houses-Museum will be temporarily closed from 22 August onwards, and the public should therefore take note. In order to coordinate with the optimization and infrastructure improvement project, the renovation project of the five Portuguese buildings of the Taipa Houses–Museum and its surrounding area will begin on 22 August. During the renovation, the Taipa Houses–Museum will be closed to the public and will reopen with a new image once the works have been concluded. The reopening date of the Taipa Houses–Museum will be announced at a later stage. For enquiries, please call IC through tel. no. 8988 4000, during office hours.
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Co-organized by the Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Hong Kong Film Development Council and the Guangdong Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, the “2016 Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair” (hereinafter referred to as “the Investment Fair”) has been concluded successfully on 17 August. This edition of the Investment Fair counted with the participation of producers of 25 film projects and over 50 investors. The Investment Fair provides a platform for exchange and pairing services between film producers and investors from the three regions, in order to facilitate the development of film industries in the three regions. The “Investment Fair” was held on 16 and 17 August at the Regency Hotel Macau. Producers of 25 film projects presented their projects to investors in introduction session and promoted meetings between the two sides, so as to explore pairing services, investment and development opportunities for the film projects. During the Investment Fair, the Guangdong Han Yuan Education Investment & Management Ltd. has successfully paired with one film project from Macao, Singing Girl, three film projects from Guangdong, namely The Fist and Snows, The Same Face and Some Stories about Love. The “letter of intent of cooperation and investment” signing ceremony was held on 17 August. In addition, in order to recognize projects with potential, awards for the film projects have been specially designed for the occasion, which were voted individually by each investor after the interview. The films The Same Face and The Fist and Snows from Guangdong got the same number of votes, so they received the “Film Project—Grand Award” from the hands of the Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macao S.A.R. Government, Chan Peng Fai and the Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong, Wellington Fung respectively; the film Some Stories about Love from Guangdong received the “Film Project—Award of Merit” from the hands of the Chief of the Film Management Office of the Guangdong Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, Chen Song. The “Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair” has been held since 2014 in Macao, aimed at offering a quality platform for convenient exchange and pairing services between film producers and investors from the three regions, creating a film investment and cooperation channel among the regions, focusing on supporting small and medium budget film production and on training professionals, as well as promoting the development of the film industry in the three regions.
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Consumer Council conducted its third ‘Supermarket price survey’ in August on 17 August for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 14 supermarkets in Toi San, Ilha Verde and Fai Chi Kei areas in N. Sra. de Fátima Parish. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. With reference to the local seven parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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To make it convenient for consumers to check prices of goods at local supermarkets and wet markets, as well as fuel prices, Consumer Council launched a new mobile phone app named ‘Macao Price Platform’. The Council consolidated the previous ‘Supermarket price information platform’ and ‘Fuel price information platform’, and enhanced the new app by adding daily price data of wet markets from IACM. The new app offers a one-stop platform for consumers to check prices. The previous ‘Supermarket price information platform’ has been updated to the brand-new ‘Macao price platform’ app, the said app is now divided into four areas: ‘Supermarket price platform’, ‘Wet markets price platform’, ‘Fuel price platform’, and ‘Certified Shops’. Consumers can get direct access to price data of over 300 products from over 100 local supermarkets, together with the average daily price at different wet markets provided by IACM. Consumers are also able to get other price information, including price differences between different supermarkets, prices with greatest price drop, as well as the most updated fuel prices, etc.. Further, the Council’s ‘Certified Shops’ mobile phone app is linked with the new app, which enables consumers to check details of over 1,000 ‘Certified Shops’. The latest ‘Macao price platform’ app is easy to use, and a one-stop platform for consumer to check daily prices. The app is available in Chinese, Portuguese, and English, and can be downloaded from Apps sore on iOS and Google Play on Android. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the number and value of real estate transactions in the second quarter of 2016 rose significantly compared with the first quarter, owing to an increase in transactions of existing residential units. A total of 3,882 building units and parking spaces were purchased and sold at MOP 19.13 billion in the second quarter of 2016 as per Stamp Duty record, up by 101.3% and 126.5% respectively quarter-to-quarter. Purchase and sale of residential units totalled 2,981 at MOP 15.28 billion, up by 145.3% and 175.2% quarter-to-quarter. Among them, existing residential units totalled 2,749 at MOP 13.50 billion, up by 154.1% and 190.4% respectively; pre-sale residential units totalled 232 at MOP 1.79 billion, up by 74.4% and 97.2% respectively. The average price of residential units increased by 7.6% quarter-to-quarter to MOP 78,532 per square metre of usable area in the second quarter. The average price of pre-sale residential units rose by 13.9% to MOP 107,227 per square metre, with the average price of those in Taipa, the Macao Peninsula and Coloane rising by 20.1%, 12.9% and 10.8% respectively. Many of the pre-sale residential units purchased and sold were in Coloane (88) and Móng Há & Reservatório (30), and the average price was MOP 104,720 and MOP 99,601 respectively per square metre. Meanwhile, the average price of pre-sale residential units in Guia (24) and Ilha Verde (24) was MOP 111,723 and MOP 98,117 respectively per square metre. The average price of existing residential units increased by 8.6% quarter-to-quarter to MOP 75,812 per square metre, with the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula and Taipa rising by 9.6% and 4.1% respectively. Many of the existing residential units purchased and sold were in Baixa da Taipa (466) and Areia Preta & Iao Hon (242), and the average price was MOP 79,041 and MOP 74,702 respectively per square metre. Analysed by year of completion, most of the residential units (1,287) were built between 21 and 30 years ago (165 in Areia Preta & Iao Hon, 159 in Baixa da Taipa), and the average price was MOP 69,535 per square metre, up by 8.2% quarter-to-quarter. For the 648 residential units completed between 11 and 20 years ago (198 in Baixa da Taipa, 106 in NATAP), the average price rose by 6.6% to MOP 75,588 per square metre. The average price of the 341 residential units completed more than 30 years ago (57 in Barca, 49 in Barra / Manduco) increased by 10.7% to MOP 49,042 per square metre. For the 242 residential units completed in 5 years or less (76 in NATAP, 32 in Doca do Lamau), the average price rose slightly by 0.2% to MOP 98,170 per square metre. Analysed by usable floor area, there were 1,573 residential units having a floor area of 50.0 to 99.9 square metres, and the average price rose by 6.8% quarter-to-quarter to MOP 76,441 per square metre. Among the 984 small-sized residential units having a floor area of less than 50 square metres, the average price rose by 8.9% to MOP 74,250 per square metre. The average price of office units increased by 2.5% quarter-to-quarter to MOP 100,030 per square metre, while that of industrial units decreased by 5.6% to MOP 41,391 per square metre. In the second quarter of 2016, there were 3,677 real estate sale contracts signed, involving 3,731 properties, up by 43.6% quarter-to-quarter; meanwhile, 3,527 mortgage contracts were signed, involving 4,906 properties, up by 49.4%. As regards construction in the private sector, gross floor area of construction of new buildings totalled 59 thousand square metres, providing 559 units (534 are residential units) and 347 parking spaces for cars upon completion. Meanwhile, gross floor area of buildings completed totalled 28 thousand square metres, altogether providing 71 units (51 are residential units) and 59 parking spaces for cars. * Annex
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According to the statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, the proportion of international business in the local banking sector rebounded slightly in the second quarter of 2016. At end-June 2016, the share of international assets in total banking assets advanced to 84.9% from 84.6% at end-March 2016, while the share of international liabilities in total banking liabilities expanded to 80.4% from 80.0%. Non-local currencies continued to be the dominant denomination in international banking transactions. At end-June 2016, the shares of the pataca in total international assets and total international liabilities were 0.9% and 1.7% respectively. Hong Kong Dollar, US Dollar, the renminbi and other foreign currencies accounted for 42.4%, 41.2%, 10.0% and 5.5% of total international assets as well as 49.6%, 35.5%, 9.0% and 4.2% of total international liabilities respectively. International Banking Assets At end-June 2016, total international assets grew by 3.5% from a quarter ago but dropped mildly by 0.8% from a year earlier to MOP1,167.7 billion (USD146.1 billion). Within this total, external assets declined by 2.5% year-on-year to MOP862.5 billion while local assets in foreign currencies went up by 4.3% to MOP305.2 billion. As a major component of international assets, external interbank loans retreated by 3.5% to MOP394.9 billion. International Banking Liabilities Total international liabilities expanded by 3.8% from three months ago but decreased by 2.0% year-on-year to MOP1,106.5 billion (USD138.5 billion). Of this total, external liabilities fell year-on-year by 5.9% to MOP606.8 billion whereas local liabilities in foreign currencies grew by 3.2% to MOP499.7 billion. Foreign currency deposits held by residents and the MSAR government in local banks continued to form a major component of international liabilities. This type of deposits, nevertheless, edged down by 0.3% to MOP445.6 billion at end-June 2016 from MOP446.7 billion at end-June 2015. Breakdown of External Banking Assets and Liabilities by Region The majority of external assets and liabilities were related to Asia, America and Europe. At end-June 2016, claims on Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China occupied 37.7% and 22.5% of total external assets, the share of the United States stood at 8.0% while claims on Portugal and the United Kingdom took up 2.8% and 2.2% respectively. On external liabilities, Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China accounted for 52.5% and 18.1% of the total respectively, the United States represented 3.0% while France and Portugal took up 1.0% and 0.8% respectively. Portuguese-speaking countries represented 3.0% and 1.1% of total external assets and liabilities respectively. The compilation of International Banking Statistics follows the methodology advocated by the Bank for International Settlements in order to facilitate Macao SAR’s participation in the “Locational International Banking Statistics” project of the international organisation.
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