News

Consumer Council is concerned about the affect on consumers caused by the delay of Mega Maldives Airlines' chartered flight. The Council has been in close contact with the relevant departments to assist consumers. The Council has received one case from its holiday hotline regarding the incident. The Council has been in close contact with Macao Government Tourism Office (DST) and Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) since the chartered flight of Mega Maldives Airlines to Palau delayed on 24 March. The Council continues its hotline service during Easter holidays and as at 27 March afternoon, one inquiry case has been received so far. The Council will continue to assist consumers, including the transfer of cases to relevant consumers organizations for consumers from the Mainland. Consumer Council's hotline is available from 25 to 28 March, 9AM to 6PM each day, and the Council will resume office work on 29 March. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The 2016 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF) takes place at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from 31 March to 2 April under the theme “Green Economy – Opportunities for Waste Management”. The 2016 MIECF will see the debut of a themed area with three exhibition zones, covering the topics of waste management, green construction and green transportation. The area and its zones will enable exhibition visitors to learn first hand about the latest environmentally-friendly technologies, thus creating more business opportunities for companies in the industry. As part of MIECF’s ongoing commitment – as a green event – to protecting the environment, the 2016 edition will follow the practice adopted in previous years: no carpet or other floor covering will be used in the main passages, so as to promote the concept of environmental protection and create a green image of the exhibition. The 2016 MIECF officially opens next Thursday (31 March). The exhibition portion of the entire event – known as the Green Showcase – brings together over 460 exhibitors from more than 20 different countries and regions. The exhibition as a whole covers an area of approximately 16,900 square metres. The participants include the “9+1” Pan-Pearl River Delta provinces and regions, European Countries, Portuguese-speaking Countries and the United States of America. They return this year with their respective exhibition displays. The Green Showcase has also attracted 21 VIP exhibitors from renowned environmental enterprises in Mainland China, Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Debut of environmental exhibition zones To align with the overall theme of the 2016 MIECF, this year’s Green Showcase will add for the first time – as mentioned above – a themed exhibition area with three special environmental zones, covering the topics of waste management, green construction and green transportation. The themed area will join, in the Green Showcase, the displays of Pan-Pearl River Delta and Portuguese-speaking Countries, the European Union Pavilion, the United States Pavilion, the Macao Pavilion and an exhibition display for Macao companies. The exhibition zone for waste management focuses on the “5Rs” regarding greener quality management systems (i.e., Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle). The technologies on display will include: separation/recycling technologies; waste management solutions; waste-to-energy technologies; sludge processing and treatment systems; and water conservation systems. The exhibition zone for green construction mainly features building technologies; facility management systems; advanced electronic heating and cooling systems; building construction services; and related solutions. The zone for green transportation mainly includes buses and motorcycles powered by electricity, hybrid energy sources or fuel cells. It also covers electricity charging stations and related infrastructure, as well as battery and logistics solutions. Collective effort to create a green event The Macao SAR Government is working diligently to promote the concept of reducing waste at source. Its “Guidelines on Waste Reduction and Separation for Convention and Exhibition Activities” were introduced at the end of last year, encouraging the local convention and exhibition industry to go green. The 2016 MIECF will continue the practice adopted in previous years, in not covering the exhibition floor with any kind of material. Exhibitors are also encouraged to apply the concepts of reducing waste, reusing and recycling when setting up their booths. The exhibitors are also invited to participate in the “Green Booth Award” and the “Electricity Fee Rebate” programmes. The aim of the programmes is to reduce the environmental impact of waste disposal related to the event. Another notable feature in this year’s MIECF is the construction concept for the Macao Pavilion. It employs reusable and recycled materials, including for the design and lighting features of the pavilion’s façade. In addition, discarded plastic bottles were cleaned and collected as materials that form the structure of the Green Showcase’s VIP Lounge. After MIECF, the structure will be taken apart and the bottles will be distributed to charity organisations for use in educational activities or for reuse in other ways. For more information on the 2016 MIECF, please visit the official website: http://www.macaomiecf.com/miecf2016
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To further enhance Macao’s role of a Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, the Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Exhibition Center will be officially open on 31st, March 2016 in Macao. Approximately 700 kinds of products from 7 different Portuguese- speaking Countries (PSCs) will be on display in the center, with eyes and taste, visitors may experience a special food tour to PSCs and explore business opportunities. Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) is committed to implement entirely the SAR government’s policies and to actively promote the diversified development of the economy. To expand Macao’s unique advantages combining with the popularity of the cross-border e-commerce industry these years, the Portal (website: www.platformchinaplp.mo) – Economic & Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal Between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries was officially opened on April 1st, 2015, with the operation of IPIM under the guidance of the Ministry of Commerce and the Secretariat for Economy and Finance of the Macao SARd. The Portal offers information and services in different modules, such as Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Products Database, Bilingual Professional Service and Personnel Database, Convention and Exhibition Information, Trade and Economic Updates, Co-operation Organizations as well as Information on Legislations. 700 kinds of products from PSCs help enterprises explore business opportunities To strengthen better interaction both online and offline, the unveiling ceremony of the Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Exhibition Center located in the Tap Seac Square business center will be officially held on 31st of March, after IPIM’s full preparation. With a total area of around 4,200 square feetbeing divided into two floors, there will be for the first period 700 kinds of products on display from 7 Portuguese-speaking countries, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor. Products vary from natural foods, snack foods, canned foods, coffee, alcoholic beverages and so on and so forth. We believe that visitors can learn about more about the products if they themsives come to experience personally in the centre and it will surely help enterprises explore business opportunities. IPIM aims to optimise its mainland liaisons’ services In fact, except Macao, another Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Exhibition Center has been set up at IPIM’s Fuzhou Liaison on January 2016, which is considered to be the first in the Mainland. And IPIM will continue to find out the feasibilities to set up more in other mainland liaisons, such as Shenyang, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Wuhan.
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IFT Tourism Retail and Marketing Management Year 3 students assisted, Sio Ng, a travel writer, to develop campaigns via her Facebook fan page to boost the promotion of the launch of her travel book later this year. As part of the project of their programme at IFT, students assessed the current state of the Facebook page to identify its strengths and weaknesses and later proposed ideas for improvement. Moreover, students researched several top quality Facebook pages of same nature for reference, aiming to learn from the best and to identify best practice. Through this project, students put theory into practice and gained practical experience. At the concluding part of this project, students synthesised their learning to develop and proposed to Sio Ng on how to improve her Facebook Page campaign, aiming to boost the interaction rate of Sio Ng’s Facebook page and to engage fans number and build awareness of the new travel book. Sio Ng and the course leader, Fernando Lourenço, appreciate greatly of what students have done and hope their ideas can bring positive impact to the business. Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has the most bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that attributable to the Lunar New Year holiday, visitor arrivals rebounded by 8.1% month-to-month to 2,644,289 in February 2016, but still represented a year-on-year decrease of 1.2%. Same-day visitors dropped by 7.6% year-on-year to 1,454,944, whereas overnight visitors rose by 7.9% to 1,189,345. The average length of stay of visitors increased by 0.2 day year-on-year to 1.1 days; the average stay of same-day visitors (0.2 day) held stable while that of overnight visitors (2.1 days) rose by 0.3 day. Visitors from Mainland China totalled 1,799,522 in February 2016, down by 5.2% year-on-year; those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme dropped by 11.5% to 1,009,546. Mainland visitors came mainly from Guangdong Province (897,096), Zhejiang Province (57,817) and Shanghai (53,261). Visitors from the Republic of Korea (63,013), Hong Kong (548,080) and Taiwan (86,477) increased by 12.0%, 4.8% and 16.6% respectively. Long-haul visitors from the United States (12,763), Canada (5,932) and Australia (5,727) registered increase. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land increased by 1.3% year-on-year to 1,605,907; those arriving via the Border Gate edged up by 0.4% to 1,357,065 and those via the Checkpoint of Cotai rose by 7.0% to 247,512. Visitor arrivals by sea dropped by 11.2% year-on-year to 813,214, and those arriving via the Outer Harbour (532,678) and the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa (280,536) recorded decrease. Visitor arrivals by air surged by 28.7% year-on-year to 225,168, with those entering via the airport rising by 28.9% to 224,417. In the first two months of 2016, visitor arrivals totalled 5,090,165, down by 1.0% year-on-year; same-day visitors dropped by 6.7% to 2,754,918 while overnight visitors rose by 6.6% to 2,335,247. Visitors from Mainland China (3,458,156) decreased by 3.1% year-on-year, whereas those from the Republic of Korea (132,246) and Taiwan (172,416) increased by 5.8% and 14.1% respectively. Hong Kong visitors (996,273) remained similar to the same period of 2015. Moreover, long-haul visitors from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom increased year-on-year, while those from Australia decreased.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on diapers, over-the-counter drugs, and milk powder on 22 March for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council’s ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. For inquiry, please call the Council’s hotline: 8988 9315.
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The 2016 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF) will take place at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from 31 March to 2 April under the theme “Green Economy – Opportunities for Waste Management”. The 2016 MIECF continues to play its role as a platform for co-operation and exchange between the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region and international markets; with particular reference to the environmental industry in China, the European Union and Portuguese-speaking countries, creating huge business opportunities for regional green economic development. 2016 MIECF is hosted by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China as Special Supporting Organisations, the provincial and regional governments in the Pan-Pearl River Delta region as Co-organisers and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Environmental Protection Bureau as the Host Co-ordinators. This year marks the ninth MIECF and it has become a high level and extremely effective platform for international exchanges on green issues and has received wide recognition from environmental industries around the world. China’s national “13th Five Year Plan” outlines support for the development of Macao into a World Tourism and Leisure Centre, a Business and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and develop the convention and exhibition industry as well as the business sector to promote the development of a moderate economic diversification. The Macao SAR Government has also always strived to build Macao into a World Tourism and Leisure Centre and a Business and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries by developing various supporting measures focusing on improving Macao’s environment and promoting the development of the environmental industry. MIECF plays an active role and has made vital contribution into promoting information and technology exchanges between environmental industries. Continue to Strengthen Co-operation and Exchanges between Environmental Industries in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region To be in line with the “Guidance on Deepening Regional Co-operation in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region” recently promulgated by the State Council, and to strengthen regional co-operation in the PPRD region as the core of deepened collaboration between the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, this year’s MIECF is again supported by the provincial and municipal governments and related entities in the PPRD region. Apart from the participation of delegations in the exhibitions and forums, the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Environmental Protection Technology Exchange Seminar is organised to encourage and promote technological exchange and co-operation between the Pan-Pearl River Delta and other countries and regions, particularly the exchange of advanced and applicable technology from countries and regions such as the EU, to strengthen co-operation between industries, to encourage and assist Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao enterprises to “go global” and “attract investment”. The Pan Pearl River Delta Region Session - Solid Waste Management Policies and Technology in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region will be held on the second day of MIECF. The event will be participated by leaders of PPRD environmental protection associations who will introduce the latest policy in solid waste management in their respective province or region, and exchange advanced technology and products in the field, with the objective of further promoting co-operation and development of environmental industry in the PPRD region. The event this year has attracted the participation of more than 90 exhibitors from the PPRD region covering an exhibition area of 960 square metres. Green Forum – a gathering of professionals The Green Forum is one of the highlights of MIECF. This year, the pioneer of the circular economy and founder of cradle-to-cradle and performance economy concepts, Professor Dr. h.c. Walter R. Stahel has been invited to the event as the keynote speaker. Professor Stahel will deliver the Keynote Speech and explain the latest trends in circular economy developments. Furthermore, on 31 March and 1 April, six forums will be organised and in the afternoon of 1 April, there will be an interactive session to promote new concepts in the field of waste management. At this year’s MIECF, 45 environmental pioneers, leading multi-national environmental industrialists and regional policy-makers from Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong Mainland China, Macao, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, will present their ideas on the significant issues for waste management and related industries; including business strategies in relation to the manufacturing and waste management industries and environmental measures within the hotel and hospitality industries. Green Showcase – opening up business opportunities This year’s Green Showcase brings together more than 400 exhibitors from more than 19 different countries and regions, and covers an area of approximately 16,900 square metres. The “9+1” Pan-Pearl River Delta provinces and regions will continue to participate and create their own exhibition zones. Moreover, the main pavilion and various countries/regions pavilions shall also include an exhibition area of prime exhibitors, a Macao exhibition area and an EU Pavilion, as well as a European pavilion. This year there will also be a themed exhibition area for waste management and green construction. Exhibitors from Portuguese-speaking countries will again participate in the event this year. The Showcase also includes 20 well-known local and overseas VIP exhibitors, including a number of first-time exhibitors, such as China Civil Engineering Construction Company (Macau) Ltd., Associated Engineers Ltd. (Hong Kong), Bona/Bonkit Wooden Floor Care Ltd., China Water Industry Group Ltd., Emco Electroroller GmbH, EMCO NOVUS International Limited, Legend Global Investment Limited, SG Automotive Group, Dandong Huanghai Bus LLC., Megaman (Hong Kong) Lighting and Electrical Equipment Co., Ltd., China Commercial Vehicle Trading Co., Ltd. and DJI Inc Corp. Diverse content and a co-operation platform for industries Green Business Co-operation Day This year’s Green Business Co-operation Day will take place in the afternoon of the first day of MIECF (31 March) and will include two green forum sessions, a Green Business Networking Cocktail Reception and Signing Ceremony. As in the past, this year’s Green Business Co-operation Day will again invite experts and leaders of listed companies from China and international markets, including world renowned enterprises, academies and international organisations such as the European Recycling Platform (ERP), International Travel Co-operation Partners, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Delft University of Technology, EDIA, the China Water Industry Group, H&M, Melco Crown, MGM and Sands China. The participants will discuss matters concerning waste management strategies and environmental measures in the hotel and hospitality industries and talk about opportunities created for related sectors in the chain of the industry, particularly the SMEs. The Green Business Networking Cocktail Reception and Signing Ceremony will take place in Exhibition Hall A, allowing participants and experts from all around the world to engage in commercial exchanges. The event will be attended by government officials and representatives from senior management of businesses from various regions and witness the signing of environmental co-operation projects. Hosted Buyer Programme Since 2011, MIECF has seen significant results with its hosted buyer programme and this year there are increasing promotion and advertising for this programme. Experts from the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, Malaysia and Singapore have been invited to participate in the Green Matching during MIECF. Green Matching Green Matching is a featured service provided by MIECF designed to help companies promote their products and services and seek opportunities for business co-operation. Many well-known hotel groups including various green hotels in Macao have been invited to attend the event to procure green products and services. Several local government departments and public institutions are invited to participate in business negotiations. Green Gala Dinner and Networking Event During the exhibition, MIECF will host the Green Gala Dinner and other related networking events to provide opportunities for managers from the Pan-Pearl River Delta and international markets to participate in networking and exchanges and allow them to explore the latest directions and technologies in environmental production. Continued hosting of Green Building Industry Seminar and the Environmental Industry Matching and Exchange Seminar Targeting the latest developments in Macao and its neighbouring regions, and strengthen MIECF as an exchange platform for environmental themes within the construction industry, the convention will once more organise a Green Building Industry Networking Session that will allow those in and related to the construction industry to discuss and exchange ideas on advanced technology and other related information in order to promote further opportunities for co-operation. At the same time, the Environmental Industry Matching and Exchange Seminar will be hosted again this year, providing a platform for industrial and commercial industries to promote mutual exchange and cooperation. Public participation – sharing the fun of MIECF The “Green Public Day” will be held on the last day of MIECF (2 April). MIECF is open to the public, allowing the public to participate in this important and international event for the green industry. It is an opportunity to promote environmental protection and a low carbon lifestyle. There will also be parent-child activities organised, helping to create and instil environmental awareness from a young age. Shuttle bus service to encourage green transportation In order to encourage green transportation, MIECF will put on four free shuttle bus routes from the central and northern districts and Taipa to the MIECF venue on the Green Public Day. Please visit www.macaomiecf.com for details. Parking will also be provided on site near Exhibition Hall D; however spaces are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Therefore, the organisers would like to encourage visitors to arrange car-sharing with friends and family, and to mutually promote environmental awareness.
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In order to enrich the knowledge of Macao university students on the fundamental rights and duties of Macao residents, the Nationality Law and consular protection and consular services under the framework of the Constitution and the Basic Law, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR (hereinafter called Office of the Commissioner of MFA), the Identification Services Bureau (hereinafter called DSI), the Legal Affairs Bureau (hereinafter called DSAJ) and the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (hereinafter called IFT) jointly held a seminar on “Constitution and Basic Law – Fundamental Rights and Duties of Macao Residents, Nationality Law, Consular Protection and Consular Services”, which is part of the thematic seminar series for higher education institutions. Since the launching of the thematic seminar series for higher education institutions last year, prominent results have been made in promoting the Constitution and the Basic Law. In order to enhance the relevant knowledge of more university students, the organizer held the fifth thematic seminar for higher education institutions at IFT on 22 March 2016. The keynote speakers of this seminar are Mr. Weng Jinshan, the first class secretary of the Office of Commissioner of MFA, and Ms. Wong Pou Ieng, Head of Department of Residents Identification of DSI. Mr. Huang Jianbin, representative of the Office of the Commissioner of the MFA, Mr. Ng Chi Meng, Head of Department of Travel Documents of DSI, Ms. Lo Cheng Peng, Head of Legal Dissemination and Public Relations Department of DSAJ, Mr. Chu Chan Weng, Head of Technical and Academic Support Division of IFT, and more than 100 students have attended the seminar. In the seminar, Ms. Wong Pou Ieng introduced the composition of Macao Residents and their fundamental rights and duties, as well as the implementation of the Nationality Law in the Macao SAR. On the other hand, Mr. Weng Jinshan introduced the main tasks of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in regard to consular protection and consular services and shared the cases of consular protection happened in recent years. In particular, he explained how Chinese citizens request assistance from the embassies or consulates of China in case of emergency in other countries with specific examples, enabling students to deepen their knowledge on consular protection and consular services further. In addition to this thematic seminar, the organizer will hold a small discussion forum as an extended activity, which creates relaxing atmosphere for students and scholars to exchange thoughts and opinions on the issues of the Constitution and the Basic Law, fundamental rights and duties of Macao residents, Nationality Law, as well as consular protection and consular services.
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) is paying close attention to the explosions occurred in Brussels’ airport and metro, and maintaining close contact with the Macao travel industry for further developments. From information gathered through the Macao travel industry, there is currently no Macao tour group in Brussels. Until the present moment, GGCT has not received any requests for information or assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call the 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000.
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Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality and Qingyuan Municipal Tourism Bureau held a “Joint Sales Mission of Guangdong and Macao – Bangkok, Thailand” in the capital of Thailand today (22 March) to build up connections with travel trade in Thailand and promote multi-destination travel to Guangdong and Macao. The authorities jointly rolled out the Mission to expand their international visitor markets and foster regional tourism development. Head of Communication and External Relations Department of MGTO, Kathy Iong; Vice Director of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Section, Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Huang Guangzhi; Deputy Inspector of Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, Xu Ying, and Deputy Director General of Tourism Bureau of Qingyuan City, He Zhifang, engaged in the “Joint Sales Mission of Guangdong and Macao – Bangkok, Thailand” in Bangkok today (22 March) together with other delegates and trade representatives from travel agencies, airlines and hotels in Macao. The Joint Sales Mission includes destination product presentations by Guangdong and Macao to introduce their tourism resources and products to Thailand travel trade. The program also comprises a networking luncheon and media interviews. The Mission enables travel trade to extend their business network, exchange industry news and forge new partnerships. In the media session, Guangdong and Macao tourism officials met up individually with local media for an in-depth interview about the current tourism situation in Guangdong and Macao, which helps promote multi-destination travel. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Executive Director of the East Asia Region, Runjuan Tongrut, and the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) President Suparerk Soorangura attended the networking luncheon, during which they communicated with the Guangdong and Macao delegates to update each other on their destinations’ latest tourism development. Guangdong and Macao have maintained a stable and long-term collaborative relationship in tourism. By leveraging a range of cooperative platforms, sharing booths in travel shows, holding joint promotion activities as well as other projects, the two destinations make sustained efforts to promote multi-destination travel and expand their source markets at home and abroad, with the goal to brand the region as one destination. Last July, MGTO rolled out destination product presentations and travel marts in Malaysia and Singapore to promote multi-destination itineraries together with Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, Zhuhai Culture Sports and Tourism Bureau, Tourism Administration of Shaoguan Municipality as well as Zhongshan Municipal Tourism Bureau. Following the event, various travel agencies in Malaysia successfully launched new multi-destination tour products into the market. Guangdong and Macao now rolled out another Joint Sales Mission, this time in Thailand, as part of their continuous endeavor to promote multi-destination travel hand in hand this year. MGTO is dedicated to diversifying sources of visitors to Macao. Embracing a new theme in 2016, the Office promotes Macao around the world and invites visitors to “Experience Macao Your Own Style”. The Office also continues to leverage the Belt and Road opportunities and various tourism cooperation frameworks including Pan Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong/Macao, Guangdong/Hong Kong/Macao, Guangdong/Macao as well as Fujian/Macao to develop multi-destination tours and build the brand of regional destination with unique gems to offer, striving to expand international source markets.
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