Shopping Festival kicks off at Ruins of St. Paul

2013-11-28

From：Macau Daily Times

The 2013 Macau Shopping Festival was officially launched at the Ruins of St. Paul yesterday afternoon. Pansy Ho, president of the festival’s organizing committee, emphasized that the event, “could consolidate the city’s resources to unleash its potential in the shopping tourism [area], concerting Macau’s position as the world center of tourism and leisure.”
In one of the most tourist-
oriented areas of Macau, the festival – which will be held until December 31 – was inaugurated with the presence of various officiating guests, such as the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan and the director of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes. The ceremony commenced with a dance performance in which, holding shopping bags, a group of local performers “inaugurated” a month full of Christmas-related events. A giant balloon with the festival logo was also inflated on the Ruins of St. Paul’s stairs.
This year, several casino operators joined the festival’s organizing committee, namely City of Dreams, Galaxy Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons, Venetian, Cotai Central, StarWorld Macau, and Wynn Macau, among others.
Co-organized by the MGTO, the Macau Shopping Festival features a series of events, promotions and campaigns. Tourists and local residents have the opportunity to participate in lucky draws with prizes worth a total of MOP3 million.
In a recent press conference, organizers stated that shops could boost their sales by up to 30 percent. To encourage “city-wide participation”, several events will be held, including “ICBC Macau Shopping Festival Cards”, “Macau SME – Dress up the Window for Christmas” campaign, and the “Port-of-Entry Instant Lucky Draw.” Organizers are also resorting to Facebook and Weibo to grab more people’s attention.
The Port-of-Entry Instant Lucky Draw comprises of a series of counters available at the four main ports of entry, including the Macau Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal and the temporary ferry terminal in Taipa, as well as the Airport of Macau. Visitors who present an immigration stamp or a valid ferry/flight ticket are able to participate. For residents, organizers have set up a Grand Prize Lucky Draw.
Between December 28 and 30, residents who wish to take part in the lucky draw need only show their ID card at one of the three CTM shops.
Vouchers, promotions, campaigns and prizes also make up part of the festival. In shops around the city and casino resorts, tourists and locals can have the chance to win prizes, which include tickets for the “House of Dancing Water”, or entrance and bungee jumping tickets at the City of Dreams and Macau Tower respectively.

Copyright@Macau Daily Times