Macau leads Greater Bay Area tourism push, plans to open Singapore office next year

Tourism authorities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) are showing a keener interest to attract more tourists from the region, building on the greater ease of travel and accessibility that the cross-border integrated economic and business zone has brought.

Singapore has been identified as a prime market for growth, said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), which is leading the charge for GBA’s latest tourism push.

To this effect, MGTO is looking into opening an office in Singapore “sometime next year”, announced Fernandes.

“Macau has not been active in (marketing to) Singapore for a while, so this is a good time to re-tender (our agreements) our relationships and look for new representation here. It’s important to make a comeback in the Singapore market,” she elaborated.

She reasoned that Singapore has a strong link to China, and many Singaporeans have roots in the Pearl River Delta region.

Macau’s destination promotions are tied with the development of the GBA, where the Guangdong region has been ramping up its tourism products and facilities.

These include high-speed rail links; regional airports, ferry services and land connections to Hong Kong and Macau; and travel itineraries that include food, attractions and festivals.