Macao will continue to organise large-scale brand-promotion events, strengthen the social and economic benefits of local events and promote the development of local cultural and sports undertakings and industries, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U has said.
She added that recent performances like the Unforgettable Melodies at the Ruins of St Paul’s, which attracted many young tourists to Macao, could be formed as a brand to highlight the “charm” of the city’s cultural events.
Ao Ieong made the remarks during a one-day Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle about her portfolio’s policy guidelines for the development of cultural and sports industries for next year.
Ao Ieong said that the sports industry was similar to the cultural industry as it relies on branding. She noted that it had been “relatively easy” for Macao to host sports events in recent years, which attracted many fans.
Consequently, Ao Ieong said, the government will link sports and cultural activities in the future, adding that the city-wide linking of events such as the Grand Prix and Macau Food Festival, coupled with cultural and creative products, had proved to be effective.
Ao Ieong also said she believed that more brand-promotion events will be taking place in Macao’s large-scale resorts, where cultural and sports activities will also be held next year.
According to Ao Ieong, the government is actively developing entertainment and sports events, culture and art projects, community tourism and other non-gaming projects, so as to enhance the city’s cultural image and inject a more powerful force into the setting up of One Base.
According to the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area announced by the central government in February 2019, Macao, in addition to One Centre and One Platform, will also aim to become One Base to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream.
One Platform refers to Macao’s role as a platform for economic, trade and cultural ties between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, while One Centre refers to the central government’s directive to develop Macao into a World Centre for Tourism and Leisure.
Moreover, a subsidy scheme will be launched by the Cultural Development Fund next year for the revitalisation and maintenance of historically important buildings, Ao Ieong noted, adding that the Cultural Affairs Bureau was conducting research in conjunction with other government bodies on how to attract tourists to Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (San Ma Lo) and its surrounding areas.
