Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, organized by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association, the 8^th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (referred to as the “Expo” or “MITE”) will be held at Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from 6 to 8 November. The Expo will bring together physical and virtual exhibitions in cloud series for the first time, alongside the debut of the Pavilion of Macao’s “Distinctive Shops”. Six major highlights will be unveiled to bolster Macao’s tourism industry in spurring economic revival in the sector.

MGTO and Macau Travel Agency Association co-held a press conference today (28 October) to unveil the event program this year. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, MGTO Deputy Director Ricky Hoi and President of Macau Travel Agency Association, Alex Lao, attended the press conference along with other personages.

In her address, Director Senna Fernandes expressed that amid great endeavors to become a “world centre of tourism and leisure”, a “commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries”, as well as an “exchange and cooperation base where Chinese culture prevails and different cultures flourish in harmony”, Macao also actively participates in the development across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and aligns its progress with the national development. Against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic with its great impact on Macao’s tourism industry in 2020, the Expo will be dedicated to a diverse program comprising six major highlights, supporting Macao’s tourism industry in spurring economic revival in the sector. The event will continue to deliver the city’s unique strengths and embrace significant opportunities brought by the Greater Bay Area development. New highlights will be weaved into the program with the aim to unlock new business opportunities and drive the tourism and related sectors forward with new impetus.

Six major highlights to spur economic revival in tourism

The exhibition floor covers a total area of 22,000 square meters this year, accommodating over 660 booths. As of 27 October, around 350 exhibitors mainly from the Mainland and Macao have registered for the physical exhibition while some 50 exhibitors are lined up for the virtual exhibition on the cloud, mainly comprising tourism offices and entities from different countries and regions. The Expo will zero in on six major highlights as follows:

1.   Local and Mainland tour products for sale:

To help Macao’s tourism industry gain a new momentum to spur economic revival in the sector, the Expo will exempt all local exhibitors from registration fee this year. Over 130 local exhibitors are joining the Expo, 1.2 times more than that of last edition. The Macao Street Zone will feature over 200 exhibition booths, 1.6 times more than last year. Local exhibitors will spotlight new travel products including local and Mainland tours, while the Expo will roll out the lucky draw “Touring Macao with MAK MAK”.

2.   Innovative and interactive confluence of virtual “Cloud” series and physical exhibitions

For the first time, the Expo will bring together the physical and virtual exhibitions in “Cloud” series – “Cloud B2B, “Cloud Promotion”, “Cloud Contract Signing”, “Cloud Live Broadcast” and so forth. The Expo has lined up around 50 international hosted buyers for virtual business appointments with on-site exhibitors in “Cloud B2B”, whereas 28 local industry exhibitors have registered for the “Trade Gathering – Tourism Business Exchange Session” to connect online with about 200 overseas professional buyers, which will provide opportunities for local industry operators to develop new itineraries across Macao and other destinations. Over 40 Mainland and international exhibitors will connect with the on-site exhibition via “Cloud Promotion” to showcase their tourism resources and interact with spectators. Exhibitors can also advertise their products with the support of KOLs via “Cloud Live Broadcast”.

3.   Zero in on tourism cooperation and product development in Greater Bay Area

Over 70 tourism businesses from across nine cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will mark their presence at the “Greater Bay Area Tourism Street”, offering residents a wealth of signature souvenir products from their destinations. Furthermore, the Alliance for Developing Macao into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Tourism Education and Training Base will lead online and offline panel discussions at the “Greater Bay Area Tourism Forum Series”. Under the theme of “New retail, new service concept, new opportunities”, enterprises from across the Greater Bay Area will share insights into online and offline retail business, with the aspiration to foster tourism cooperation and development, refine travel service standards and enhance competitiveness in the Greater Bay Area.

4.   Showcase Portuguese-speaking countries as a Sino-Portuguese exchange platform

Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) will set up the “Pavilion of Portuguese-speaking Countries Products”, which encompasses two zones namely “Exhibition area for Investment and Business Environment and MICE Industry of Macao” and “Exhibition area for Macao Enterprises”, to promote Macao’s business environment, IPIM ‘s services, the lineup of exhibitions in Macao in the next two months besides a showcase of products from Portuguese-speaking countries, etc.

5.   “Community Cultural Creative Achievement Exhibition” and “MAK MAK Pavilion”

A zone named “Community Cultural Creative Achievement Exhibition” will be launched in partnership with Cultural Industry Fund to manifest the fruition of local cultural and creative efforts in supporting distinctive shops in the communities to rebrand their business through creative design, etc. To carry on the collaboration between MGTO and Cultural Industry Fund in 2019 – “Specific Financial Support Programme for the Cultural Tourism Brand Building” themed after Macao Tourism Mascot MAK MAK, the “MAK MAK Pavilion” will open this year to provide custom-built booths for six of the local small and medium-sized enterprises to promote and sell their subsidized MAK MAK-themed souvenirs already launched into the market.

6.   Brand stories of distinctive shops

Accredited by Economic Bureau, the “distinctive shops” are local retail stores and catering establishments which reflect the exuberant cultural landscape and diversity of local communities. The Pavilion of “Distinctive Shops” will debut in the event, showcasing 16 distinctive shops with local characteristics arranged by Economic Bureau. Spectators can have a first-hand experience of the unique products, traditional skills and culture offered and carried on by these shops, and check in on social media at the booths which highlight their unique brands.

The Expo will feature a “Food Pavilion” where local signature delicacies are sold, to manifest Macao’s glamour as a Creative City of Gastronomy.

Preventive measures against the pandemic

Newly-added online booking for visit to MITE

The 8^th MITE will be held at Hall D – E, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from 6 to 8 November with free admission for the public. The Expo will adopt a series of preventive measures against the pandemic, requiring visitors to present Macau Health Code and have their temperature checked upon entry, as well as to wear mask and maintain one-meter social distance. Venue disinfection, staggered admission hours and other measures related to public catering will be carried out as well. Starting from 28 October, the public can log into the appointment scheduling system on MITE’s official website: www.mitexpo.mo to make an appointment for visit to the Expo. Admission quotas are offered to guide the public to visit the Expo at staggered periods. Without an appointment made, the public can also queue for entry as per the on-site situation. Free parking will be available to residents at Hall A, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao during the Expo, while free shuttle bus service around four routes will be provided between the venue and various points in Macao and Taipa.

The co-organizers of the Expo this year include Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Macao Chamber of Commerce, General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, Macao Federation of Trade Unions, Women’s General Association of Macau, Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau, Association of Macao Tourist Agents and Travel Industry Council of Macau.

For more information about the 8^th MITE, please visit MITE’s official website: www.mitexpo.mo, WeChat ID and Facebook page.