THE MACAU Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has launched an Incentive Travel Stimulation Program, an extension of its Strategic MICE Market Stimulation Program introduced in May 2009.
The programme, running from January to December 2012, will provide additional benefits for incentive groups with over 50 non-local participants staying in Macau hotels for more than two consecutive nights.
MGTO will offer subsidies of up to MOP$300 (US$37.50) for each non-local participant, as well as provide complimentary tourism information kits, welcome gifts, a promotional Macau video, and free admission to the Wine Museum and Grand Prix Museum.
In order to qualify, events have to be confirmed by December 31, 2012. Applications will undergo a pre-qualification screening by MGTO.
Meanwhile, the latest figures from Macau’s Statistics and Census Service Department revealed that 236 MICE events were held in the territory in third quarter 2011, an 87-per cent year-on-year decrease. In contrast, participant and attendee numbers registered a 39-per cent year-on-year jump in the third quarter, to a total of 507,661.
During the first three quarters of 2011, the number of MICE events in Macau decreased to 771, from 1019 during the same period in 2010. The average duration of events also dropped by 0.2 days to 2.1 days. Attendee and participant numbers totalled 755,324 for the period January – September 2011, a 29 per cent hike over the same period the year before.
Reporting by Deborah Cornfield
