Unfolding an extensive international marketing campaign, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) will unveil its first mega roadshow of 2024 in Tokyo, Japan on 8 March for three days in a row. Leading a delegation of Macao’s travel trade to Japan, the Office held the “Macao Tourism + MICE Product Updates Seminar & Travel Mart” in Tokyo in advance today (6 March). Japanese visitors and members of the travel trade were offered a window onto Macao’s destination appeal and newest MICE trends, to further international market development.

The Macao Tourism + MICE Product Updates Seminar & Travel Mart was held at Palace Hotel in Tokyo today (6 March). MGTO Director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Executive Director of Office of International Tourism, Japan Association of Travel Agents, Kazuhiro Ito, Executive Director of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Sam Lei, Head of Division of Culture, Tourism, MICE, Trade and Commerce of Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Vic Lam, and Deputy General Manager – Japan and Executive General Manager – Osaka of Air Macau Company Limited, Ringo Chan, together with the other guests and delegates of Macao’s travel trade and the six integrated resort enterprises, attended the session. There were over 210 participants.

Networking between Macao and Japanese industry delegates

MGTO first delivered an overview of Macao’s latest tourism situation to Japanese industry participants, followed by IPIM’s presentation on Macao’s business environment. Participants gained a deeper understanding of tourism, MICE and business trends in Macao. The representative of the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin depicted the latest situation of the Cooperation Zone, whereas the representative of Air Macau presented the progress of recovery of Macao’s air sector. In the afternoon, a networking session brought together members of the Japanese and Macao travel trade to connect and design new Macao itineraries and related products tailored for Japanese visitors, in turn boosting mutual visitations.

Strategic measures to redevelop Japanese market

The Office’s first mega roadshow of this year will be unveiled at COREDO Muromachi Terrace in Tokyo this Friday (8 March) to carry on for three consecutive days. It is also the first roadshow to be held by Macao in Japan since travel restrictions were lifted last year. The venue is located at a high-density commercial district in the vicinity of Tokyo Station. There are about 500,000 people working within a one kilometer radius. The roadshow incorporates Macao’s “tourism +” elements into the key visual. In this distinctive exhibit space, Air Macau and Macao’s six integrated resort enterprises run booths to showcase their tourism facilities and new elements. Industry operators present special offers on various tourism products to boost the destination appeal.

Macao welcomed close to 300,000 Japanese visitors in 2019, making Japan the third largest international visitor market. In January 2024, air services between Macao and the two Japanese cities, Tokyo and Osaka, both resumed in terms of frequency to one round-trip flight daily.

MGTO is seizing the opportunity to step up a variety of marketing efforts, such as partnering with an airline to launch special offers on air tickets between Macao and Japan. Endeavors are made to energize Japanese’ intention to visit Macao for the colorful experience of “tourism +”, in turn expanding the diversity of international visitor markets.

Since travel restrictions were lifted in Macao last year (2023), MGTO has activated the international marketing campaign in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia successively, through a variety of initiatives such as online and offline advertisements, roadshows, trade familiarization visits, travel fairs and so on. As the international travel markets and air sector revive further in 2024, MGTO launches a wealth of attractive gifts for international visitors, including special offers on air tickets, cross-border transportation, hotel accommodation, dining, entertainment and show tickets. Fueled by multichannel promotions, the scheme aims to draw greater flows of international visitors from short-, medium- and long-haul destinations to Macao for the rich experiences of “tourism +”, as part of the endeavor to expand the diversity of travelers for a more robust recovery of the tourism economy.