Dipo Olowookere
Macau is one of the Asian territories that heavily rely on tourism as an income source. Reports show that around 50% of its GDP was generated by direct travel and tourism in 2019, the highest percentage worldwide. The all-time high visitors’ number was reached in December 2019 when no less than 3,2 million people travelled to Macau. However, the COVID-19 crisis began soon after this spike, and the numbers dropped. As the rest of the world is moving forward, Macau is still battling to recover and grow tourist numbers. As a result, the local government has devised a new approach to help the region reclaim its previous glory: influencer marketing. Will this strategy be successful? Which countries are they aiming for?
Special Focus on Thai Tourists
It’s not the first time a country has used influencers to promote its tourism and attract more visitors. However, what’s interesting about Macau’s recent move is that they specifically target Thailand as the source for more travellers.
To achieve this, Macau‘s Government Tourism Office (MGTO) invited a group of 20 people to tour the country earlier in March. Among the participants were five gourmet and travel opinion leaders (heavily-followed influencers) and personalities from Thailand’s mainstream television channels.
It’s the first such “delegation” to visit Macau since the pandemic, and it highlights the country’s efforts to revamp this vital component of its economy. With a combined following of 31 million, the target is to reach more Thai tourists through the voices of the influencers. Furthermore, there’s been talk about an official travel trade delegation that will also come to Macau for business networking and inspection.
MGTO also added that through the several visits of delegations from different Thai sectors, the authorities want to boost Thailanders’ interest in the country as a tourist destination. The influencers spent 4 days in Macau and the Macau Grand Prix Museum, Maritime Museum, Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, and the MinM Plaza. It’s no wonder that Macau started this influencer marketing strategy by focusing on Thailand. In 2019 there were over 150,000 monthly visitors from this country, and Thailand was the 10th biggest contributor to Macau’s tourism.
Games and Entertainment Tourism Opportunities in Macau
The nation’s integrated resorts were also part of the major tourist attractions that Macau has to offer. Since Thailand is still working on the legislative framework to allow more gambling forms, many citizens would take the opportunity of a Macau trip to enjoy some casino games.
Currently, Thai casino enthusiasts can only play casino games at offshore operators, and the activity doesn’t come without risks. Even so, there are plenty of players that rely on Thaicasinocenter.org for reviews and information about trustworthy casinos, games, or industry news. Therefore, Macau’s wide range of casinos, such as the Venetian, Wynn Palace, and Sands, have the potential to massively contribute to the overall number of tourists visiting the country.
Thanks to these huge integrated resorts, visitors do not have to travel from one place to another for various activities. Shopping centres, hotels, restaurants, kids attractions, and other entertainment venues are available at the location.
Carriers Resume Flights to Macau
Besides the bold move of using influencer marketing to attract visitors from Thailand, Macau’s efforts are sustained by the increasing number of flights and ferry lines that have resumed activity. For example, AirAsia restarted Macau-Bangkok flights in February and links with the Philippines also started operating early in March.
The biggest local airline, Air Macau, is planning to increase flight connections as well as frequency to numerous destinations. Mainly focusing on East and Southeast Asia, the carrier does everything it takes to revamp the flight capacity registered before the pandemic. In addition to air travel, there has also been a resumption of ferry services connecting Macau to neighbouring regions like Hong Kong and Zhuhai. These ferry services have been popular among tourists and will also play a role in getting the country where it was in terms of visitors.
What to Expect in the Future
With the collective efforts of local authorities, airline companies, and various industries in the country, there is a promising opportunity to revive Macau’s tourism success. However, perfect coordination is crucial to regain visitors’ trust after years of pandemic-related struggles. Despite these challenges, the use of influencers to increase Macau’s appeal among Thai tourists is a strategic move that demonstrates openness to modern methods that can make a difference in achieving this ambitious goal.
