To deepen the concerted tourism development across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the “Greater Bay Area”), Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has arranged an array of exchange and familiarization activities for its market representatives from Korea and Thailand, with the aim to inspire and support tourism operators’ development of new multi-destination tourism products incorporated with the Greater Bay Area’s abundant destination appeal and international transport network, tailoring seamless wonderful travel experiences for Korean and Thai travelers.

Familiarization with transport hubs in Shenzhen and Guangzhou

Assisted and arranged by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, MGTO Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong led a delegation of 21 members comprising MGTO’s market representatives in Korea and Thailand as well as local tourism and transport operators to Shenzhen and Guangzhou for a familiarization visit on 7 and 8 July. Level-two Inspector of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, Huang Xizhong, attended the activity in the morning of 8 July as well.

To obtain a clearer picture of the land, air and sea transportation facilities in the Greater Bay Area, the delegation visited various port facilities in Shenzhen and Guangzhou including the international visitor service centers, high-speed rail systems, border-crossing bus services, cruise homeport and land ports of entry. The delegation also met with management personnel from the tourism sector in Guangdong for in-depth discussions on how to leverage the advantages unveiled by the international airports of Shenzhen and Guangzhou, as well as the convenient transport network across the border, to create stellar air-land and air-sea travel experiences for international visitors. Through familiarization visits and partnerships across the industries, tourism operators can capitalize on great connectivity across the Greater Bay Area and tailor high-quality multi-destination tourism products for overseas visitor markets.

Macao travel trade and Hengqin delegates join product development workshop

MGTO organized the first workshop in Macao for development of multi-destination tourism products targeting Korean and Thailand visitor markets on 9 July, oriented around Shenzhen and Guangzhou International Airports as core hubs to lead international visitor flows into Macao and Hengqin. Representatives of Macao’s travel trade for Korean and Thai visitor markets, local tourism transport operators and the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin engaged in the workshop to discuss and design multi-destination tour routes leveraging Shenzhen’s and Guangzhou’s international airports and cross-border transportation networks, together with MGTO’s market representatives in Korea and Thailand. Cultural multi-destination tourism products were developed in collaboration with Macao and Hengqin.

Familiarization experiences of Macao’s cultural tourism resources 

During their visit in Macao, MGTO’s market representatives in Korea and Thailand also inspected and learned about Macao’s offerings of “tourism +” ranging from new cultural tourism facilities, gastronomy, sports experience, Mak Mak Experience Hub and community tourism projects in ZAPE and more. In view of the growing trend of fitness and sports across the new generations in recent years, an exchange dialogue on running tourism was arranged for Korean and Thailand market representatives with the General Association of Athletics of Macau, to ignite new elements in the upcoming international marketing campaigns and initiatives which highlight Macao’s appeal for Korean and Thai visitors as an ideal destination.

MGTO will continue to explore diverse approaches to foster the development of “tourism+” and distinctive tourism products for different visitor markets, while mobilizing regional collaborations for overseas promotions and business networking to expand international visitor markets, promote multi-destination travel and enrich Macao’s offerings as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.