The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is ramping up efforts to lure Hong Kongers back to Macao. The office unveiled a new plan of attack, involving online and offline initiatives, at a recent “spring luncheon” for more than 100 tourism industry representatives, according to a recent statement.
Speaking at the event, MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes noted that 7.1 million of Macao’s 35 million visitors in 2024 hailed from the neighbouring SAR, making it Macao’s second biggest visitor source after the mainland.
However, many Hong Kongers are reportedly shunning Macao for their mainland neighbour, Shenzhen, which can be reached by high-speed train from Hong Kong in as little as 15 minutes and offers bargains galore. Earlier this month, the president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, Andy Wu, pointed out that the number of visitors from Hong Kong was in decline – and urged the government to take note.
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MGTO’s statement said it would “progressively roll out promotions in the Hong Kong market, forging ahead with online and offline initiatives on different channels to secure visitations from Hong Kong.” It also said that “new attractions” will be explored, with different segments of the Hong Kong market specifically in mind.
The office’s Hong Kong representative was being tasked with “strengthening communication and collaboration with the travel trade,” according to the statement. Regular product presentations, themed familiarisation visits, collaborative promotions and marketing initiatives will be conducted.
Hong Kong’s upcoming Holiday & Travel Expo 2025, scheduled for 20-23 February, will see the MGTO host an Experience Macao promotion to “inject a new impetus into Macao’s tourism and economy,” the statement said.
