Second Tourism Forum looks for new business paths

2013-6-6

From：Macau Daily Times

The organizers of the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTE-Forum), now in its second run, aim to turn Macau into a platform for investments and business opportunities within the tourism industry.
“Macau isn’t only a city of gambling anymore, we believe it has more potential and it’s through tourism that we can actually make world economies evolve,” Pansy Ho stated yesterday at a press conference. The entrepreneur is the chairwoman and secretary general of the event, which will be held in Macau between 17 and 19 September.
Following a first forum, which gathered around 1,000 participants, Pansy Ho explained the main goal for this year: to enable investors to find new business paths and development opportunities within the tourism industry, contributing to the world’s economic growth. In addition, with the GTE-Forum, organizers hope to enhance partnerships in tourism-related industries between China and other countries, not only from South Asia but also from Europe.
Emphasizing that there is more to Macau than gambling, Pansy Ho said the territory should be seen as a prime place “to organize conventions and exhibitions with an international dimension.”
The Director of Macau Government Tourism Office, Helena de Senna Fernandes, also recognized that “tourism plays a key role in the development of the world’s economy.” In her opinion, the GTE-Forum will confirm that “Macau has assumed itself as a gateway and a platform between China and the rest of world, enhancing its status as the world center for tourism and leisure.”
Helena de Senna Fernandes believes the economy of Macau can only benefit from tourist investments, but admits the number of tourists might not actually increase: “I believe we reached our limit in terms of tourist capacity”, she concluded. In her opinion, more than increasing the number of tourists visiting Macau, it is important “to attract a more diverse group of tourists and convince them to stay longer, as currently the majority stays only for two or three days.”
The Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau’s Government, Cheung So Mui Cecília highlighted the role of GTE-Forum as a platform “for investors to discover new areas of interest and develop different business opportunities.” Emphasizing that “China is already the third tourism destination in the world,” she concluded saying Macau “should become a place where tourism players can gather to further discuss ideas and business opportunities, paying special attention to sustainable tourism matters.” Staff reporter

Shun Tak waiting for ‘green light’ to build hotel resort

The conglomerate Shun Tak Holdings expects to launch its own hotel brand, managing director Pansy Ho confirmed yesterday. “We hope to build it in Cotai. But obviously this depends if we get the land granted to us, as we are still in the process of application,” she explained. Ho refused to provide further details regarding this new project, stating that Shun Tak cannot predict when it will be able to start construction. “Before we have the land granted to us, I am not allowed to disclose any further information, as the process is still under evaluation,” she added. Pansy Ho, also chairperson and executive director of MGM Macau, clarified that this is a completely separate project from the new MGM casino resort already under construction in Cotai.
The entrepreneur said the construction of the casino is “already underway” and it involves “a great deal of gaming entertainment,” adding that only “20 to 30 percent will be non gambling-related.”

Copyright@Macau Daily Times