Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) continues to deepen the synergy of digital and traditional marketing initiatives to magnify the impact of both online exposure and first-hand experience. Through a variety of angles and innovative ways, the Office promotes Macao’s tourism resources and cultural offerings to energize people’s intent to visit Macao from different parts of the world.
Trendy marketing on social media
In view of users’ social network preferences in different visitor markets, MGTO has opened 24 platforms on social media such as WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, YouTube, Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Line and Kakao Talk, engaging over 6 million followers. There are destination marketing pages on social media in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan region, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Portugal. For market diversification, the Office has also made collaborations with widely-influential mainstream media including BBC, CNBC and The Economist, major e-commerce platforms, celebrities and social media KOLs coming to Macao for events. As of October 2023, some 100 travel influencers have been invited from worldwide to experience and spotlight innovative “tourism +” in Macao.
Special offers for target international markets
To develop various overseas markets, MGTO has unfolded “My Treat for you, See you in Macao” this year, a scheme giving out half-price hotel coupons on Trip.com in Korea, Thailand and Singapore, to international visitors staying for a minimum of two nights in Macao. The program also highlights the latest travel tips, festivals and events in Macao. Other special offers include airlines’ special offers on international air tickets, buy-one-get-one-free offers on bus and ferry tickets for Hong Kong, Taiwan and international visitors, as well as a subsidy scheme for tour groups from Taiwan region and international markets.
In the fourth quarter, MGTO is partnering with mega e-commerce platforms such as Tripadvisor and Expedia. On these websites, the themed pages about Macao are updated; articles are released to recommend innovative travel experiences in Macao; advertisements are placed, while special travel offers are distributed. The above are rolled out to brand the destination in different countries and regions such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Taiwan region, Australia, Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
Cultural travel shows manifest destination appeal
The Office has facilitated and supported the logistics, production and promotion of several cultural travel programs and shows about Macao, which present a lively picture of the city in progress to become a world centre of tourism and leisure. A production of China Media Group, the major cultural-travel reality show Express Lane to Macao Tourism, consisting of 12 episodes, was released this year, garnering over 55.84 million views cumulatively and an audience of 100 million on converged media. A co-production with Mango TV, the six episodes of the mini variety show Magical Tour of Macao garnered 74 million views as well as nearly 13 million pageviews and 25,000 comments on Weibo.
Upgrade smart trip planning by technological means
Targeting the Mainland market, MGTO leverages internet technology creatively and encourages visitors’ sharing of travel experience. On Douyin, the Office called for users and KOLs to create their own videos themed around the hashtags “Set off for Macao now” and “Fun in Macao Northern District day and night” to widen the destination’s online exposure. The videos have won high popularity among netizens and garnered over 270 million views cumulatively since December 2022 to date.
MGTO has created several virtual reality videos for release at Macao Weeks, “Experience Macao, Unlimited” Caravan Roadshows across Greater Bay Area and the 11th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo, as well as other upcoming roadshows for a wider audience. In addition, the Office has partnered with an online travel platform to launch a non-fungible token (NFT) digital collectible themed as the city of Macao — “Swift – Macao Grand Prix Museum” in tandem with special travel offers in Macao and admission tickets to the Macau Grand Prix as an innovative promotion and service experience for visitors.
In terms of technology application, the “Macao Full of Fun – Smart Trip Planner” and the “smart application for visitor flows”, which forecasts visitor flow at 117 tourist attractions in Macao. Information about distinctive shops, cultural and creative shops and classic brands is also offered, allowing users to design their own itineraries that suit their varying interests.
Brand-new website “Gastronomic Journey”
MGTO launched the brand-new website “Gastronomic Journey” (www.macaotourism.gov.mo/dining) in 2022. The website offers a reorganized wide variety of videos about gastronomy, culinary arts and food culture for residents and visitors to discover more about Macao’s diverse gastronomic scene. In 2018, the Office launched the brand new website entitled “Gastronomy Map” (http://maps.gastronomy.gov.mo) to indicate a variety of culinary delights recommended by KOLs across the digital map, enhancing visitors’ quest of local cuisines amid local streets and lanes while drawing visitors to different districts for revitalization of the community economy.
Committed to the “1+4” development strategy for adequate diversification, MGTO will keep deepening integration of “tourism +”, diversifying international markets and promoting Macao tourism products and the destination through a variety of marketing initiatives.
