Macau Tourism Office and Casino Resorts Launch Marketing Campaign in Beijing

Posted on: September 22, 2020, 09:04h. 

Last updated on: September 22, 2020, 11:59h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), in partnership with the enclave’s six licensed casino resort operators, is launching a marketing campaign in Beijing. The goal is bringing mainland visitors to the Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Macau tourism office casinos China
Macau has the most difficult task of attracting tourists to its historical sites during a global pandemic. (Image: Reuters)

“Beijing Macau Week” is being organized by the MGTO. The marketing festivities will be staged on the capital city’s Wangfujing Street, a pedestrianized shopping mall and street food corridor. The event runs September 26-29.

The MGTO hopes its four-day presence in Beijing will entice more mainlanders to organize a trip to Macau. The information booths up and down Wangfujing will highlight Macau’s various draws, including its historical landmarks, such as the Ruins of Saint Paul’s, numerous museums and galleries, fortresses, and public gardens.

MGTO officials will also be on hand to promote Macau’s shopping, sports and recreation, family attractions, and dining experiences. Representatives from the casino resorts will discuss their hospitality and entertainment offerings.

“Beijing Macau Week” is funded by a MOP400 million ($50 million) allocation that the enclave government recently set aside for the MGTO to bring back tourists in wake of COVID-19. The money will also be used to help resort operators offer special discounts to guests, including cheaper airfare and hotel accommodations.

But Gambling Off-Limits

Other than the state-run lottery, gambling is prohibited in mainland China. Marketing casino gambling on the mainland is also outlawed.

As a result, the MGTO most certainly won’t be mentioning its gaming floors during its marketing week in Beijing. The world’s richest casino hub won approximately $36.6 billion in 2019. Of the 39.4 million visitors who made their way into Macau last year, 71 percent arrived from mainland China.

Macau continues to struggle because of the coronavirus. Though visitor numbers grew 207 percent in August compared with July, there were just 156,481 same-day visitors and 70,632 overnight guests last month. That’s a 94.5 percent decline from August 2019. Gross gaming revenue was down 95 percent year-over-year.

During the “Beijing Macau Week,” Tourism Office employees will explain the ease of coming and going to the resort epicenter. The Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) was reinstated for residents of Zhuhai effective August 12, with all of Guangdong Province added from August 26.

The IVS arrangement allows people arriving from Guangdong to go in and out of Macau without quarantining. Travelers from all foreign countries remain prohibited from entering Macau.

Golden Week Visitors Arriving

Macau is a little more than a week away from receiving a much-needed vacation. China’s Golden Week runs October 1-8 and will bring tens of thousands of mainlanders to the enclave.

Macau casinos are reporting strong bookings for the holiday week, with several five-star resorts on the Cotai Strip fully booked. However, those hotels that still have vacancy are becoming desperate to book their rooms during what’s typically a sold-out week.

A long weekend stay for Friday through Tuesday (10/2-10/6) at The Venetian, a five-star hotel, can be booked for only HK$5,717 ($738). That comes out to just $184 a night (taxes and fees included). The same four nights can be booked at Studio City for an even cheaper rate ($686).

At the end of 2019, Macau had 38,282 guestrooms. They were occupied at a rate of 90.8 percent.