The “2017 Annual Work Meeting of Joint Working Committee on Tourism to Support Macao's Aspirations to Build a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure" was held in Macao today (6 April). The meeting was attended by officials and representatives from the entities concerned, including the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Public Security Police Force, Marine and Water Bureau, Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Fujian Provincial Tourism Bureau, the People’s Government of Zhuhai Municipality, the Administrative Committee of Hengqin New Area and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority. During the meeting, the parties discussed a range of topics on how to deepen regional cooperation and promote Macao’s development into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, as well as confirmed major tasks to carry out in 2017.
The two Conveners of the Joint Working Committee on Tourism to Support Macao's Aspirations to Build a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure (“Joint Working Committee on Tourism”), namely the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam, and Vice Chairman of CNTA, Li Shihong, both delivered a speech during the annual work meeting. Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yao Jian, addressed the meeting as well. Following the remarks, the Secretary General of the Joint Working Committee on Tourism and MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes presented the local tourism situation and the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan. She also shared about the work in progress on Macao’s application for designation as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, as carried out by the Application of Macao, China for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Committee. Following that, Deputy Director General of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Department of CNTA, Ren Jiayan, presented the work of the Joint Working Committee on Tourism in 2016 and the targeted goals on tourism cooperation between the Mainland and Macao in 2017.
Key members of the Joint Working Committee on Tourism as well as officials and representatives from the Mainland and Macao discussed various topics and reached a consensus during the meeting. The topics include implementation of the national tourism policies in favor of Macao, fostering Macao’s transformation into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, deepening tourism cooperation between the Mainland and Macao, expansion of inbound international tourism markets, among others on the agenda.
The Convener of the Joint Working Committee on Tourism and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam, remarked that Macao’s tourism industry is currently trending upward in steady progress. The Macao SAR’s Five-Year Development Plan published last year and the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan to be completed in 2017 will steer Macao’s tourism development towards a more systematic, regulated and precise course. Our Country has granted huge support that fuels adequate economic diversification and tourism prosperity in Macao. The SAR Government is dedicated to aligning the Macao SAR’s future development with our Country’s 13th Five-Year Plan, striving for Macao to engage in the Belt and Road Initiative and become part of the development of a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area so that Macao can better radiate its function and role in national development. The meeting thus serves a very significant meaning and function, enabling various parties to discuss the topics on cooperation in depth and together promote tourism development in the Mainland and the Macao SAR. To conclude his remarks, Secretary Tam expressed his gratitude to CNTA for constantly supporting and encouraging the Macao SAR Government to accomplish its work in tourism.
The Convener of the Joint Working Committee on Tourism and CNTA Vice Chairman, Li Shihong, expressed that the Mainland’s tourism industry has been fully incorporated into the system of national strategies and become a strategic pillar industry of the national economy. The era of mass tourism has dawned. A strong pursuit after leisure and holistic tourism development will unfold a greater development potential and momentum speeding up Macao’s transformation into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. The Joint Working Committee on Tourism will do its best in three directions – seize the opportunities, deepen cooperation and forge ahead with practical measures.
He added that with the Central Government’s regard for its policies towards Macao, Macao can share many important resources of the Mainland including its immense market. Moreover, the Mainland attaches great importance to tourism development and has proposed the model of holistic tourism. Riding on mass tourism, Macao can keep developing holistic tourism, which will lead the city’s development towards diversification. By putting greater efforts in comprehensive destination marketing in the Mainland and overseas, Macao can continue to consolidate and expand its visitor markets. Through reform of relevant systems and institutions, the Mainland can nurture a favorable tourism environment and steer its tourism development towards a more systematic and regulated course, which will help deepening tourism cooperation between the Mainland and Macao. Similarly, holistic tourism development in the Mainland will enhance synergistic tourism development of both sides. The Committee has to make progress in accomplishing different tasks through down-to-earth measures, while neighboring provinces can radiate their own competitive advantages and together contribute to Macao’s development into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. In the future, the Committee will meet with relevant ministries and commissions to march ahead with different tasks.
Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yao Jian, expressed that since the Committee established its work system, CNTA and the Macao SAR Government have begun working on a great number of duties to jointly pursue synergistic tourism development in the region, which remarkably speeds up Macao’s transformation into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. The SAR Government has made strenuous efforts to align Macao’s development with our Country’s 13th Five-Year Plan and the Belt and Road Initiative, and formulated the first Five-Year Development Plan in Macao history, demonstrating its commitment to long-term development planning. With Macao being a key component of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, both sides will actively unleash Macao’s impact and incorporate the elements of Macao into the development plan of the Greater Bay Area in the process of formulation in light of the latest prospect. In addition, they will well capitalize on the opportunities arising from inauguration of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge while jointly developing and promoting multi-destination tourism products to enhance the international impact of the Greater Bay Area as a travel destination. Furthermore, Macao will orient its image around leisure tourism and brand itself as an international city of leisure tourism, leveraging its own competitive advantages to deepen its offers as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure and radiate its strengths as a platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
In conclusion of the meeting today, the Joint Working Committee on Tourism will commence a range of projects in 2017 as follows: organize a mission with Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hong Kong to promote multi-destination travel in Indonesia and Malaysia in April, to support and engage in the development strategies of the Belt and Road Initiative; strengthen concerted efforts in tourism market regulation by paying an exchange visit to Hainan in the near future, to enhance information exchange, combat irregularities and reinforce tourism industry regulation; radiate functions as a platform and ride on events coming up in Macao such as the Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo, the Global Tourism Economy Forum and the PATA Travel Mart, not only to invite delegates from across the Mainland and especially from cities of Guangdong and Fujian to participate in the events in Macao, but also to encourage and arrange familiarization visits of overseas travel trade to Guangdong and Fujian before or after their participation in the aforementioned events; continue to study ways to capitalize on the opportunities arising from inauguration of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in order to better integrate the tourism resources of the three cities and magnify their strengths as a regional tourism brand; fully capitalize on the Individual Travel Scheme for Yachts between Guangdong Province and Macao to promote mutual cooperation in the maritime economy, etc.
The attending officials and guests also include Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Center, Li Jianping; Head of the Economic Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Liu Bin; Deputy Director General of Marketing and International Cooperation Department of CNTA, Zhang Xilong; Deputy Director General of Planning and Finance Department of CNTA, Wu Kefeng; Deputy Director General of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Department of CNTA, Ren Jiayan; Chairman of Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Zeng Yingru; Deputy Director of Fujian Provincial Tourism Bureau, Su Qingci; Director of the Administrative Committee of Hengqin New Area, Niu Jing, as well as Executive Director of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, Wei Dongqing, among others. Local personages who attended the meeting include the Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ip Peng Kin, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Advisors of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Charles Lam and Stella Leong, MGTO Deputy Directors Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong, Head of the Shipping and Seafarers Department of Marine and Water Bureau, Lei Veng Seng, as well as the Chief of Public Relations Division of the Operations Department of Public Security Police Force, Chio Song Un, among others.
