Macao returns to ITB Berlin, fostering meaningful connections with the European travel sector
With China’s more flexible visa policies, visiting Macao has become easier for European travellers
Macao celebrated its return to ITB Berlin after a five-year absence with a special Trade & Media Reception on the second day of the show. Attendees were treated to a buffet featuring Chinese/Macanese finger food and a presentation highlighting Macao’s multiple attractions and the progression of its tourism sector. Having welcomed some 35 million visitors last year, the destination is on the road to recovery after a Covid slump and looking to attract more European visitors with new and easier visa policies. We caught up with Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office after the reception.
Why did you choose to organise a special event at ITB Berlin to showcase Macao’s tourism offerings?
For one, we had been away from Europe for about five years. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, everything stopped. In 2023, we did restart our relationship with the Portuguese Travel Agency Association, but really for Europe as a whole, this is the year we’re coming back. Returning to ITB Berlin was a very important strategic move because we needed to let the European travel industry see that we are interested in the market and that we are serious about it.
Having a physical presence at what is probably the biggest tourism fair in the world was important for recultivating a lot of relationships. Holding the reception was a way of making sure that people knew we were there. It’s a very important strategic move for us. The timing is also very good because since last year, China has new visa policies with many visa-free European countries as well as simplified visas. We believe that people who come from Europe to Hong Kong and Macao won’t only want to stay in Macao, so it’s important for them to be able to combine the trip with either Hong Kong, or what we call the Greater Bay Area around us. Now that China has announced visa-free policies, it’s good timing for us to promote combining a trip to Macao with destinations in China.
How will you cultivate European markets going forward?
This year we will host a meeting with the European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Association (ECTAA), which represents all the travel agent associations in Europe. They will be coming to Macao for a meeting in June. At the end of this year, we will also host The Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT, from its Portuguese acronym) in Macao and we’re expecting about 800 people.
This year we are also planning to bring some of the media and our partners back to Macao to better understand the product and to talk to the travel industry there and see what new packages we can put together. Coming back to ITB Berlin was just one of the steps, but there is a lot more to do.
Which tourism segments are a priority for Macao?
The leisure market as well as the meetings and convention market. For the leisure market, I think we are starting to get a lot more interest.
