Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) attended the 2nd Regional Conference on the Empowerment of Women in Tourism in Asia and the Pacific (the “Conference”) organized by UN Tourism in Bali, Indonesia from 2 – 4 May. As one of UN Tourism’s major events in the Asia-Pacific Region, the Conference zeroed in on various challenges and opportunities faced by women in the tourism industry across the region. By participation in the Conference, MGTO seeks to widen its international network and build Macao’s profile within the international tourism organization. 

MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and staff engaged in the Conference and familiarization tour as part of the activities. The program was mainly held on the first two days, including roundtable discussion and regional seminar among other sessions. The agenda covered a range of topics including women in tourism industry leadership, women’s role in fostering sustainable tourism development, education and training for women’s participation in the tourism sector, safety concerns for female travelers as well as accessible travel opportunities for women. On behalf of MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes was invited to speak at the panel discussion titled “Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism: Discussing women’s roles in promoting sustainable tourism”. 

Women’s leading impact in Macao tourism sector

At present, female professionals constitute over half of the workforce in Macao’s tourism and related sectors, while over 50% of visitors to Macao are women. In her remarks, Senna Fernandes introduced MGTO’s scope of work and highlighted that its marketing team comprises female staffers mainly. In both the local public and private sectors, many female leaders are making a considerable impact. 

She stressed that both women and men are making valuable contributions to tourism development. Nevertheless, more challenges exist. Overshadowed by the spread of COVID, Macao’s tourism sector had lost a significant proportion of its labor force. After the pandemic, the industry demands the return of human resources to be back on track to recovery. Yet some women also shoulder the responsibility to care for their family and may not be able to reclaim their former work roles immediately. In an overall picture, tourism is a fascinating sector for both men and women. 

Macao, China is an Associate Member of UN Tourism (formerly named the World Tourism Organization) since 1981, actively participating over the years in events and projects organized by the organization, with the aim to strengthen international tourism cooperation, enhance the city’s profile and engagement with the international tourism organization.