Macau eases COVID rules, but tourism, casinos yet to rebound
Since China rolled back “zero-COVID” strategy in early December 2022, the border restrictions have been loosen. What’s more, mainland China announced it would resume issuing passports for tourism last week, which will potentially set up a flood of Chinese going abroad and boost its tourism-driven economy. However, according to the Associated Pres (AP)—Gambling floors at two major casinos were half-empty Wednesday, with just a few small groups of mainland visitors sitting around slot machines and craps tables. There was no expected revival momentum.
In response to this phenomenon, Prof. Glenn McCartney, Associate Professor of International Integrated Resort Management at the University of Macau, was interviewed by ‘APNEWS’ for an in-depth discussion on the revival of tourism and gaming industry in Macau. “(For) tourism, you can’t sort of snap your fingers, and things start to move. It will take a while for Macau to regain its pre-pandemic pizzazz, ” Prof. Glenn said.
But Prof. Glenn also noted that Macau’ s tourism officials have staged road shows in China during the pandemic, leveraging the scenic city’s location just across the border. These activities can enhance the understanding of mainland tourists about Macau and promote Macau’s tourism culture. “The Lunar New Year has brought a sense of the potential for a longer term rebound in tourism. That could be the cue.” he said.
Sources for news and photos: apnews.com
