The city’s six gaming operators can collaborate as a united front to promote Macau as a world-class travel destination within the international community, stated DeVonne Iao, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Sands China.
“When we are outside of Macau, we’re not competitors. All six of us, the operators, are allies promoting Macau as a destination,” she stated.
She made the remarks during the final panel on Thursday at the Asian IR Summit, which was part of the conference programme for the Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) 2024 and the Asian IR Expo. Both shows, lasting for three days, concluded on Thursday.
At the panel discussing how Macau can establish an international identity and an image beyond casinos, Iao pointed out that one of the challenges is not the lack of efforts from the authorities, gaming operators, and other stakeholders, but rather whether this message can reach the target audience.
“The challenge is that when we are trying to package so much and tell so many things to the market, they can only remember [not] so much,” she said.
From her perspective, the six gaming operators can work together to plan and promote the overall image, key proposition, and selling point of Macau within the international community.
“Macau is a very unique destination with a mix of Chinese and Portuguese cultures,” Iao continued. “We’re not a day-trip destination as a side to Hong Kong. We are a destination in its own right.”
Iao’s message is also echoed by Akiko Takahashi, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO at Melco Resorts & Entertainment.
“As we talk about collaboration, I’m thinking that… the operators have their own DNA, their own messages, and communications to the market,” Takahashi, who was the panel moderator, said. “But surely we can.”
International campaigns
In recent years, Macau has focused on attracting travellers from beyond the Greater China region. One of the main tasks for the six gaming operators, after their new 10-year concessions began last year, is to help the city draw more international tourists.
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, the director of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), stated earlier this week that the government hopes the overall visitation to the city can reach 33 million this year, with over 2 million coming from international source markets.
Last year, the city welcomed 28.23 million tourists, recovering to about 71 percent of the pre-Covid figure of 39.4 million in 2019. As of April 2024, 11.48 million visitors have travelled to Macau so far this year, representing a year-on-year increase of 58.9 percent.
Speaking at the same panel on Thursday, Cheng Wai Tong, the deputy director of MGTO, indicated that the authorities will launch two promotional campaigns for Macau in the international community. One will target established media outlets such as BBC, CNN, and Bloomberg, while the other will focus on social media.
“All these campaigns will also be contributed by [the] six gaming operators, not only money but also [in terms of] content,” Cheng highlighted.
The Thursday panel also suggested that television productions and films shot in Macau could help elevate the city’s image and increase global awareness.
As an example, Siu Sai Wo, the general manager (business operations) of Hong Kong broadcaster TVB, illustrated how Shanghai became a popular destination among mainland Chinese following the debut of the TV drama “Blossoms Shanghai” at the end of last year.
Directed by the globally acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai, “Blossoms Shanghai” is set in the Chinese eastern city during the 1990s.
“Macau should have its own ‘Blossoms Macau’,” Siu indicated.
