As part of its continued endeavors for international marketing, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) invited the Korea Association of Travel Agents to Macao for a familiarization trip, which included their participation in the 11th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (referred to as the “Expo” or “MITE”) for an update on Macao’s new tourism prospect.

Worldwide industry delegates gather at Expo

Founded in 1991, the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA) consists of members from over 2,000 travel agencies and consultancies across the country. The delegation of 13 KATA members and guests in company paid a familiarization visit to Macao for four days from 29 June to 2 July. They also joined the concurrent 11th MITE for a chance to connect with their counterparts from Macao and around the globe after the pandemic. The delegation learnt about the latest tourism industry trends and resources at this major occasion for worldwide industry delegates to navigate business opportunities.

The delegates experienced Macao’s kaleidoscope of “tourism +” elements through the trip. They visited the Macao Grand Prix Museum and Caesars Golf Macau, facilities that offer a blend of “tourism + sports”, as well as various local attractions and major integrated resorts for their brand-new dining and entertainment facilities. They also enjoyed an authentic taste of Macanese cuisine, among other trip experiences that will inspire their custom design of more Macao travel products for Korean visitors.

Mega roadshow coming up in Korea

Since Macao and Korea eased their border restrictions early this year, direct flights between both destinations have been gradually restored. MGTO is going to unveil a mega roadshow in Korea in mid-July to tap the market potential with strenuous efforts. Before that, the Office had organized the first post-pandemic familiarization trip and networking seminar for Korean travel trade in Macao, besides placing outdoor digital advertisements at the mega shopping mall and MRT station in Seoul. A variety of channels are leveraged to brand the destination and ignite Koreans’ intent to travel to Macao.

In 2019, Macao registered over 740,000 visitor arrivals from Korea, which ranked as the largest international visitor market to Macao. Committed to the development strategy of “1+4” adequate diversification in the future, MGTO will keep steering the development of the tourism and related industries forward, deepening integration of “tourism +”, diversifying international markets and promoting Macao tourism products and the destination through a variety of marketing initiatives.