The Parisian Macao
Industry members are confident that Macau, flush with a new crop of hotels and attractions, will be strong drawcards for outbound travellers from Singapore in the coming year.
The 13, MGM Cotai, City of Dreams Fifth Hotel Tower and Lisboa Palace will soon join the recently-opened Wynn Palace and The Parisian Macao, injecting 4,580 rooms into the city’s inventory over the next two years, said Grace Tong, Macao Government Tourism Office’s (MGTO) representative in Singapore.
Singapore is Macau’s top per capita spend source market in Asia, growing 17.1 per cent year-on-year to 1,912 patacas (US$230) in 3Q2016. The average length of stay has also increased from 1.8 nights to two nights, Tong noted.
Although numbers for the first 10 months were down two per cent to 113,429 compared with the same period last year, MGTO’s B2B2C roadshow in May boosted 3Q2016 visitor arrivals and Singapore is expected to end the year in positive territory this year.
Tong added: “Apart from gaming, new attractions like Anim’Arte Nam Van which transformed Nam Van Lakeside Plaza into a waterfront leisure and culture hub offering creative activities, dining and performances, and the year-end Light Festival are giving Singaporeans more reasons to visit or revisit Macau.”
Nancy Tan, managing director, Ik Chin Travel Service, concurred: “We will definitely push Macau as a gourmet, shopping and spa destination with four-day/three-night programmes or a six-day/five-night programme that will include Zhuhai and Zhongshan in Guangzhou.”
Cynthia Kho, assistant general manager, tour, WTS Travel & Tours, said the agency is looking at “less extravagant” programmes to suit customers who are watchful of their travel spending amid a subdued economic outlook.
“There is increasing demand for twin-city programmes and our Macau packages will also include Hong Kong, Zhuhai or the Pearl River Delta on top of the one- to two-night stays in Macau,” she said.
As well, a Scoot sales representative told TTG Asia that the airline is looking into increasing its capacity. Currently, Scoot flies daily to Macau, with an additional flight on Saturdays.
