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The 12th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Macao SAR, concluded successfully on April 28. Aligning with the “1 + 4” development strategy to enhance “tourism +” integration, the Expo showcased seven key highlights under the theme “Meet at MITE: Discovery, Networking, Interaction!” It attracted global tourism industry stakeholders for professional exchange and exploration.
The three-day event saw the signing of 55 contracts and welcomed over 37,000 attendees. Revenue from the MAK MAK grand lucky draw exceeded 8.45 million patacas, marking a 50% increase from the previous edition.
Held at the Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from April 26 to 28, 2024, the Expo expanded its exhibition space to 30,000 square meters. This year’s event was the largest in its 12-year history, featuring 1,353 booths and 668 exhibitors from 54 countries across various zones. The Expo hosted 502 buyers, including international, Mainland, and local participants from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
MITE once again positioned Macao as a key hub for international travel industry exchanges, with participants from Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania, including 17 national tourism offices. The event also highlighted involvement from countries along the Belt and Road and Portuguese-speaking nations, alongside significant participation from the Greater Bay Area.
In addition to facilitating global networking, the Expo offered 55 presentations, forums, and activities to update attendees on the latest in tourism from Macao and worldwide.
Implement the “1+4” economic diversification strategy
For the past two years, the “1+4 Pavilion” at MITE has engaged more than 50 companies from key sectors like health and wellness, modern financial services, innovative technology, and more. This pavilion, which doubled in size since its last iteration, showcased a diverse array of products and services from these industries, including health foods, skincare items, advanced technology, and banking services.
Expo encourages diverse collaborations
The MGTO has actively facilitated public-private partnerships within Macao and internationally. During the event, 55 agreements were signed involving 107 entities from Macao, mainland China, and various other countries, targeting sectors such as tourism, air services, and educational tourism. The Expo also hosted over 13,000 in-person and nearly 1,500 online business matching sessions, helping global industry players expand their networks.
International exhibitors at the Belt and Road Products Pavilion
This year’s MITE introduced the inaugural “Belt and Road Products Pavilion,” featuring unique products from eight countries and regions along the Belt and Road initiative. This pavilion offered new opportunities for importing exceptional goods and for expanding into new markets, underscoring the importance of the Belt and Road initiative.
One Exhibition, Two Cities: A Unique Collaboration
The “Macao – Hengqin Outdoor Camping Industry Salon” was jointly organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. This collaboration marked the debut of the Macao-Hengqin Camqing Fair 2024, spotlighting it as a key event this year. MGTO also curated an outdoor camping exhibit at MITE in Macao, offering visitors a taste of modern camping through an immersive display. Concurrently, the salon in Hengqin attracted 180 industry professionals, international buyers, and delegates, fostering networking opportunities and business partnerships within the camping and outdoor travel sectors. This event underscored the synergistic “one exhibition, two cities” approach, enhancing the Expo’s role as a professional platform and strengthening ties between Macao and Hengqin.
Cultural Institutions and Educational Travel Energize Tourism
Prominent cultural institutions like the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China participated in the Themed Pavilion of Cultural Museums and Educational Tourism, showcasing museum-themed products and creative offerings. The “A Museum Journey: Macao and China Cultural Exchange Meeting” further promoted the integration of tourism with education and culture, revitalizing the tourism sector. The MGTO initiated the “Travel & Learn” Itinerary Planning Competition, aimed at cultivating innovative ideas, tapping into educational tourism resources in Macao, and heightening public engagement with educational travel.
Impressive Reach via New Media Matrix
The “New Media Matrix” initiative brought together 74 exhibitors from Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and various international locales including Belt and Road countries. They leveraged multiple social media platforms to broadcast their offerings, with nine influencers conducting live streams and promotions across ten platforms such as Facebook, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Weibo. This campaign generated over 20 live streams and 123 promotional posts, amassing a total of 12.45 million views and impressions. This extensive outreach was further amplified by inviting notable influencers to feature promotional content on MGTO’s social media channels, thereby broadening the campaign’s impact.
The MAK MAK grand lucky draw saw a significant increase in popularity, distributing a wide range of enticing prizes including round-trip airfare to destinations across the Americas, Europe, and Southeast Asia, vouchers for five-star hotels and buffets, credit card cashback offers, mobile phones, and laptops. The total receipts collected during the three-day Expo amounted to 8.45 million patacas, marking a 50% increase from the previous event.
Global industry professionals explore tourism opportunities in Macao and Hengqin
Nearly 100 representatives from international travel agency associations and about 500 hosted buyers from various countries visited Macao to participate in the MITE and the Trade Gathering Mini-Mart. During their visit, they took part in familiarization tours in Macao and Hengqin, experiencing firsthand the diverse “tourism +” elements of Macao. Additionally, some attendees visited the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and engaged in the “Macao – Hengqin Outdoor Camping Industry Salon” to explore various tourism opportunities in Hengqin.
Starting with this edition, MITE will be held annually in April, allowing exhibitors to capitalize on the pre-summer holiday period for maximum benefit at the Expo. This change aims to foster collaboration with global industry partners and promote continuous progress and sustainable tourism development.
The post Macao Hosts Largest Travel Expo Ever at Venetian Macao, Attracting 37,000 Professionals from 54 Countries to Boost Tourism appeared first on Travel And Tour World.
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