Tourism agencies are scrambling to secure extra drivers and vehicles to ferry tour groups into Macao for what’s being described as a “booming” Lunar New Year holiday, TDM reports.
The Association of Macau Tourist Agents said it expects an average of 200 tour groups to enter the SAR each day of Spring Festival’s first week – a total likely in excess of 1,400.
The association’s vice-chairman, Tang Ka Man, said licensed tour bus drivers’ employment rate during the holiday would be “more than 100 per cent”.
[See more: Twenty-two Macao hotels have earned five-star ratings from Forbes Travel Guide]
He said that travel agencies were out to “poach” anyone with a valid licence, to help meet demand to experience Macao’s take on Lunar New Year festivities.
Lawmaker and chairman of the association and lawmaker Cheung Kin Chung noted Macao’s soaring attractiveness as a tourism destination.
He said the tourism industry had developed new offerings catering to “current trends and customer bases, such as young travellers, small groups, family tours, semi-group tours and in-depth travellers.”
“The products the industry has launched so far have been very popular and well-liked among tourists,” he added.
Tourism officials anticipated around 960,000 tourists would visit the city during the eight-day Chinese New Year period, equating to 120,000 per day.
