Macau has a lot of non-gaming entertainment offerings but compared with Las Vegas the city is still catching up in terms of diversification, Macau International Cultural and Sports Industries Association President Patricia Cheong Sai said on Tuesday, suggesting that Macau develop “art tourism” as part of its economic diversification strategy.
Cheong made the remark while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the opening of the “ArtBiz Asia 2019” forum, which her association is organising at the Venetian. The forum, the first ArtBiz event, ends today.
The marketing expert pointed out that despite the rapid growth in some diversifying industries in Macau, there was still room for improvement for other industries to grow.
Cheong, the founder and managing director of M.M Marketing Communications, also said that “Macau is a place for everyone not just for players [gamblers]”. She added that art applies to many different industries and it should blend with urbanisation, adding that a greater variety of products should be integrated when designing resorts or tourist attractions.
She also said that art tourism was the new trend attracting young visitors. She referenced the Japanese island town of Naoshima that displays public art and uses it as a strategy to attract new tourists.
Cheong said she believed that art tourism was a possible way for Macau to diversify its development of non-gaming products, especially in conjunction with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) development, adding that more companies, not necessarily gaming companies, were interested in investing in Macau.
Cheong said she hoped that events like ArtBiz Asia aiming to connect the arts and culture circles with integrated resorts in Asia could spark dialogue between integrated resorts’ decision-makers and regional art experts to discuss the importance of art and culture in the multifaceted development of integrated resorts and the wider impact on various travel destinations in Asia.
