The Venetian in Cotai has recorded 280 million visitations since the integrated resort opened in Cotai 10 years ago, Sands China President-cum-Chief Operating Officer Wilfred Wong Ying-wai said on Monday.
Wong made the comments in a speech at a ceremony to mark Venetian’s 10th anniversary.
Sands China, headed by US gaming mogul Sheldon Adelson, introduced the integrated resort concept to Macau. According to Wong, Adelson was unable to attend Monday’s ceremony due to three fractured ribs.
“I’m saddened to have report that our Chairman Mr. Sheldon Adelson who has actually arrived in Macau suffered an injury last Saturday,” Wong said, “He’s suffering from some fractures in his ribs, in fact, three of his ribs.”
Wong was quick to add that Adelson was recovering very fast and only needed some rest for the fractures to heal.
The ceremony held at the lagoon area Monday evening featured a 3D mapping show with pyrotechnics, and was wrapped up with a gala dinner attended by about 500 guests.
According to the Macau Post Daily, among the VIPs were Edmund Ho Hau Wah, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
The liberalisation of Macau’s gaming industry was launched by Ho shortly after the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) in December 1999. Ho was the first MSAR chief executive until December 2009.
Wong said that it was thanks to the vision of the Macau government’s leadership then that Adelson was able to build Venetian, the first integrated resort in Cotai, in 2007.
“Adelson believed that the integrated resort is a good model to drive Macau’s economy to sustainable development, and so he built the Venetian. Today, after 10 years, Venetian has received 280 million visitations, and in total, Sands China has received nearly 500 million visitations,” Wong said, pointing out that this could only happen with the government’s “wise leadership”, government officials’ open mindset and Macau residents’ involvement and support.
Wong added that Adelson has not stopped following his dream as after Venetian, he built Sands Cotai Central and then The Parisian integrated resorts in Cotai.
“We’ll be transforming Sands Cotai Central into ‘Londoner’, so in the future, people can travel to the [three] European cities within one day,” Wong said, pointing out that the company was “more than willing” to coordinate with the government’s policy of diversification to drive the local economy.
