The Launch Ceremony of “Power in Our Hands, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program - Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Tourism & Hospitality Chapters” and the Symposium on “Inclusive Tourism in GBA” were held today (26 October). Members of the travel trade can tap into the eLearning Program conveniently to learn sign language that conveys cultural tourism information about Macao, the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin as well as the Greater Bay Area. Learners can become better equipped for efficient communication with deaf and hard of hearing people, in turn contributing to the betterment of Macao as an accessible travel destination and the concerted tourism development of Hengqin and Macao.

Sign Language eLearning Program has attracted many learners

In 2019, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) partnered with MGM and Macau Deaf Association in co-launching the "Power in Our Hands” Community eLearning Program of Macao Sign Language to teach sign language for daily conversations and tourism in Macao. Last year, the three entities went on to launch the “Power in Our Hands, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program” in collaboration with Guangdong Deaf Association and Guangdong Province Sign Language Association, which were invited to enrich the content of the program together. The program was expanded to cover more about cultural tourism of the Greater Bay Area, besides the basic knowledge of Macao Sign Language and Chinese National Sign Language. To date, the click-through rate of both programs has exceeded 26,000, bespeaking its popularity.

In addition, the eLearning Program series was acclaimed as a “Quality Training Course” in the “Construction of Quality Training Courses & Learning Projects of the Year 2021 – 2022” organized by Training Magazine of Xinhua Daily Media Group.

eLearning Program newly covers cultural tourism of In-Depth Cooperation Zone

With the launched Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the eLearning Program newly features the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Tourism & Hospitality Chapters this year, to provide practical information about cultural tourism in the In-Depth Cooperation Zone, which propels the concerted tourism development of Hengqin and Macao.

In speaking at the Launch Ceremony and Symposium, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes expressed that through the eLearning Program series and the Symposium on Inclusive Tourism in GBA, MGTO hopes to raise industry professionals’ awareness of accessible tourism in Macao, the In-depth Cooperation Zone and the Greater Bay Area, in turn leading to quality enhancement of tourism services in Macao, as the Office and the trade join hands to enhance the accessibility of Macao as a travel destination. Such endeavor is in parallel with the Macao SAR Government’s work of building Macao into a barrier-free city. She hopes that industry professionals can master the knowledge of sign language offered by the program to apply at work and in daily life.

Industry professionals and interested learners can access this e-learning resource through the direct link on MGTO’s Macao Tourism Industry Net ( http://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo ).

The Symposium promotes inclusive tourism in GBA

The Symposium on Inclusive Tourism in GBA was held today (26 October). Four experts and scholars were invited to share their perspectives, offering some 150 industry participants insights into the application and development outlook of accessible tourism in the Greater Bay Area. The four speakers include Assistant Professor at the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Virginia Lau; Executive of Guangdong Office of Macao Federation of Trade Unions, Bonnie Lam; Executive of Macao Auxiliary Equipment Resource Center of the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, Ceci Si; and Audiologist of Macau Deaf Association, Leong Tat Fong.

The “Power in Our Hands, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Sign Language Community Outreach eLearning Program - Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Tourism & Hospitality Chapters” is jointly presented by MGTO, MGM, Macau Deaf Association and Guangdong Deaf Association with the support of Guangdong Province Sign Language Association.

The Symposium on Inclusive Tourism in GBA was jointly organized by MGTO, IFTM, Macao Federation of Trade Unions and MGM, with the support of the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau and Macau Deaf Association.

The guests who attended the Launch Ceremony and Symposium include: MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Deputy Secretary-General and Director of the Department of Social Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Huang Huagai; President of IFTM, Fanny Vong; Executive Vice President of Human Resources of MGM, Wendy Yu; Director of Macau Deaf Association, Wong Kam Sun; Vice Director-General of Macao Federation of Trade Unions, Choi Kam Fu, and President of the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, Ng Siu Lai, among other personages.

The Launch Ceremony and Symposium were conducted in strict compliance with the pandemic prevention guidelines issued by Health Bureau. All participants were required to wear masks, have their temperature checked, present their Macao Health Code in green and scan the venue code.

MGTO has been making strenuous efforts to steer Macao towards higher accessibility as a travel destination. By organizing and supporting related training initiatives, the Office seeks to raise industry professionals’ awareness of accessible tourism, to enhance tourism service quality in Macao, joining hands with all to build Macao into a high-quality accessible travel destination. The above endeavors are made to support the Macao SAR Government’s advocacy for inclusion and development of barrier-free communities for all.