LAST WORD 58
Lost horizons Sharon Singleton
Managing Editor, AGB
I first discovered Macau whilst working as a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong in the run up to the 1997 handover to China.
B
ack then, Macau was the closest place to segment of the tourism market, albeit a very large one. Its mantra in the past few years has been to push go for R&R, away from the crowds and the hustle of Hong Kong to a quieter pace of life the six gaming operators to diversify their product and a little taste of Europe. Traffic at that offering and introduce more non-gaming attractions point was virtually non-existent and the preferred to appeal to a broader family audience. They have mode of transport was the mini-moke, a glorified golf also sought to throw the tourism net wider, to attract cart that was possible to hire cheaply with no focus visitors from longer-haul destinations such as India. Still, in 2018, more than 90 percent of tourists came on niceties such as licenses and insurance. The Cotai Strip was not even a twinkle in Sheldon from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Macau’s tourism authorities have been trying Adelson’s eye and in the mostly low-rise town of old Macau, the Lisboa dominated the skyline. It was not hard to rebrand Macau, with a focus on its unique cultural heritage and as an for the faint hearted. Entering events city, with a strong through the metal detectors, calendar of annual features, the noise from the casino floor such as the Grand Prix and was a deafening assault on Branding and the Macau Film Festival. the senses, while your eyes tourism experts However, according to struggled to adjust to the thick most academic research, blanket of smoke. argue that Macau the first image that springs Still, it was always crowded still has not been to mind in the prospective and a good indicator of the traveller is of Macau as a underlying potential that able to develop a gaming hub. When the tiny came to be unleashed with consistent message city was the only real game liberalisation of the market in Asia that may not have and awarding of six new across all the various been such a major issue, but licenses in 2002. stakeholders when it with competition mounting Returning in 2013 to across the region, it can no cover the industry as the comes to the city’s longer claim gambling as its managing editor for Asia brand identity. unique selling point. Gaming Brief, Macau was Branding and tourism virtually unrecognisable. The experts argue that Macau still Venetian, Sands Cotai and has not been able to develop a City of Dreams were open for business amidst a giant building site that was hard consistent message across all the various stakeholders when it comes to the city’s brand identity. There has to envisage as the Cotai Strip of today. However, that old Macau, with its unique mix of not been adequate input from the integrated resorts, Portuguese and Chinese culture had seemingly been which each have their own marketing departments pushed to the back burner and for a non gambler the pushing their own brands to fill their hotel rooms. enclave held little appeal as a holiday destination. Yes, Few of the IRs can argue they are offering something it has increasingly fine restaurants, top end hotels and uniquely Macau, with Italian, French and soon-to-be shopping...lots of it, but not much else to fill the days. London-themed IRs providing social media photo After its first significant downturn in gross gambling opportunities for Chinese tourists. Without a clearer focus on what is uniquely Macau, revenue since liberalisation in 2014, the government sat up and took notice that the bulk of its revenue came it will be an uphill battle for the city’s tourism authorities from a single industry that was dominated by one to attract a non-gaming, diversified tourism base.
“
”
Asia Gaming Briefings | December 2019