Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and Cathay Pacific jointly invited a delegation of ten members from the Philippine tourism and MICE sectors to visit Hong Kong and Macao in one familiarization trip in late September. The itinerary covered a number of travel destinations and MICE facilities in Macao, as well as a trade networking seminar hosted by MGTO to boost the intention of Philippine and international travelers to visit Hong Kong and Macao in one trip.

The Philippines is high potential as one of the major international visitor markets

According to visitor arrivals between January and August 2023, the Philippines ranks fourth among the top ten visitor source markets and is one of the major international visitor markets for Macao. The average daily arrival of Philippine visitors during the aforesaid period has rebounded to 61.2% of the corresponding figure in 2019. The delegation had a four-day familiarization visit to Hong Kong and Macao between 25 – 28 September. On 27 and 28 September, the delegation visited Macao to learn more about the city’s strengths as a travel and MICE destination. Their trip included a visit to Macao’s World Heritage attractions and the Macao Grand Prix Museum, a sky-high experience at Macau Tower and an inspection of the MICE and entertainment facilities of the integrated resorts, as well as a taste of Macao’s signature delicacies.

Trade networking seminar in tourism and MICE

MGTO held a trade networking seminar and invited the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) to present an overview of Macao’s MICE industry to the delegation. Members of the trade from Macao and the Philippines connected and explored opportunities for cooperation.

Expand international visitor markets by Hong Kong-Macao travel products

Through the networking seminar, familiarization visit and first-hand experience, the delegation gained a more thorough picture of Macao’s latest travel and MICE trends, which facilitates their design and launch of Hong Kong-Macao travel products tailored for Philippine visitors. The Office also highlighted the convenience of transport connectivity between the two cities to tap the potential of international visitor markets.

Convenient transit and special offers on direct flight tickets

MGTO is making great efforts to expand the Southeast Asian visitor markets, through initiatives such as launch of special offers on direct flight tickets in partnership with airlines. Capitalizing on the cross-border bus service between the SkyPier Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport and the Macao Port at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, MGTO continues to promote this convenient bus service across the two cities by inviting industry operators and media for a first-hand experience and subsequent promotions through their network, so as to encourage more international travelers to visit Macao via Hong Kong and boost twin-destination tourism.