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Published on October 24, 2007

Macau generated revenue of 25.01 billion patacas (Bt9.19 trillion) for the first eight months of the year, of which 18.36 billion patacas, or 73.41 per cent, came from gambling tax. The second-largest income contributor is tourism.

Last year, this special administrative region of China recorded revenue of US$9.3 billion (Bt318 billion) from tourism, which is expected to increase to $15 billion this year. In the first half of this year, tourism income was $6 billion, up 38 per cent year on year.

The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has been holding a special campaign for 2006-07 in support of the meetings, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) business.

"Although we've expanded tourist resources and products to make higher income, the gaming industry still generates the largest revenue for the country. And its proportion is unlikely to be reduced [from close to 75 per cent]," said MGTO deputy director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.

She added that new tourism products like the MICE industry would lead to more travellers. And those visitors will use relaxation time at casinos besides attending official affairs. This year, Macau expects to have more than 25 million visitors, up from about 22 million last year. It has already counted 17.23 million visitors for the first eight months of the year.

Regional countries are Macau's core target group for the MICE market, particularly China and Southeast Asia. The MGTO has planned its MICE business strategy in three steps: incentive and corporate meetings for the short term, the association market for the medium term and annual meetings of foreign companies for the long term.

However, the MICE industry will need more time to contribute significant revenue. The MGTO set up the Macau Business Tourist Centre, officially opened in April 2006, to oversee the MICE market and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau last year to build business cooperation between the two destinations.

Macau's visitor arrivals in the first eight months of the year totalled 17.23 million. Of those 83,441 were Thais, up 55 per cent year on year. This significant increase is mainly due to the convenience of travel.

Currently, Macau has 16,000 hotel rooms, and that number is expected to rise to 40,000 in the next few years. The destination has meanwhile provided gaming-concession licences to three business operators and another three subconcession licences. The gaming business is open to foreign investment, because there is no share-stake limit.

Somruedi Banchongduang

The Nation