“Smart application for visitor flows” predicts the density of visitor flows at 20 popular tourist attractions
To gear up for the 1st May Labor Day holiday (1st – 4th May) of Mainland China, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is carrying out a range of proactive measures. The Office encourages visitors to capitalize on the smart tool for visitor flow forecast and the official mobile app, as well as follow MGTO’s official WeChat ID. The Office also allocates personnel to handle enquiries and assist in visitor flow diversion at various locations, distributes food guides, supports entities to organize festive and holiday activities, carries out more rigorous inspections and give reminders to industry operators, among other measures. The above measures aim to meet the needs of local residents and visitors and continuously optimize the tourism environment and service quality in the industry.
Use of smart tool to ease travel experience
MGTO encourages visitors to use the “smart application for visitor flows” and the official mobile app “Step Out, Macao” with suggested walking tour routes, as well as follow MGTO’s WeChat ID “MGTOweixin” to ease their travel experience.
Recently launched in the end of March, the “smart application for visitor flows” predicts the density of visitor flows at 20 major tourist attractions within four hours, 24 hours and seven days, and categorizes the forecast results at various levels from “comfortable”, “moderate”, “lightly congested”, “congested” to “heavily congested”, to create greater convenience for visitors and industry operators in their itinerary arrangement. The “smart application for visitor flows” can be accessed on the pertinent website: https://poimonitor.macaotourism.gov.mo, mobile app “Step Out, Macao” and MGTO’s WeChat ID “MGTOweixin”.
Via mobile text message, MGTO will advise visitors to leverage the “smart application for visitor flows” to learn more about the level of visitor flows at major attractions in Macao before making suitable itinerary arrangements, hence guiding visitors to visit attractions in other districts during peak hours for visitor flows. In addition, MGTO partners with TDM to indicate the forecast level of visitor flows at various attractions on the TDM Information Channel from 9 p.m. on 30th April until 11:59 p.m. on 5th May, for the consideration of residents and visitors. At the same time, MGTO continues to collaborate closely with Public Security Police Force to enable users’ awareness about crowd control measures implemented by Public Security Police Force through the “smart application for visitor flows”.
Diverse measures to divert visitor flows
Highly concerned about the city’s tourism carrying capacity during festivals and holidays, MGTO has carried out a diversity of measures to alleviate the level of crowdedness at major attractions. To prepare for the Labor Day holiday, the Office not only provides the newly-launched smart tool for forecast of visitor flows, but also offers a direct link to the Public Security Police Force’s "Real-Time Information Platform of Border Ports" on MGTO’s website. Visitors can access the platform on mobile phone or computer to check real-time border-crossing images at the arrival/departure halls and traffic lanes of Border Gate, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Taipa Ferry Terminal, Cotai Frontier Post and Zhuhai-Macao Cross Border Industrial Zone Border Checkpoint, hence choosing to leave or enter Macao at suitable timing.
MGTO allocates personnel at ten tourist points to offer tourism information and guidance to visitors and assist in diverting visitor flows from 27th April to 5th May. Furthermore, MGTO supports local associations in organizing festive and holiday activities in Macao, including the “Promotional Scheme for Community Tourism 2019 – Explore Praia do Manduco” at the vicinity of Rua da Praia do Manduco from today until 5th May, the “2nd Light Night Market – Classic Macau Street” at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf every Friday and weekend from today until 11th August, and the “Macao Lion Dance and Martial Arts Promotion Plan 2019 – Lion Dance and Martial Arts Appreciation Evening” at Largo do Pagode do Bazar (the front square of Hong Kung Temple) on 4th May.
With consideration for residents’ living environment in the first place, MGTO will work on developing new tourist attractions for re-distribution of visitor flows and embark upon the study on imposition of tourism tax.
Handy information for an enjoyable trip
Residents and visitors can conveniently learn about events and festivals as well as the latest tourism information in Macao through MGTO’s website: http://www.macaotourism.gov.mo or by following MGTO’s Wechat ID “MGTOweixin”. Visitors can also obtain the promotional pamphlet “Enjoy Macao” at MGTO’s Tourist Information counters and service counters. MGTO's tourism hotline (853) 2833 3000 maintains its 24-hour operator service.
MGTO once again partners with the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao, the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District, the Industry and Commerce Federation of Macau Central and Southern District as well as the Industry and Commerce Federation of Islands of Macao to publish the "Macao Food Guide for the 1st May Vacation" (Chinese version only). Offering a contact list of restaurants and eateries open during the Labor Day holiday, the handy food guide familiarizes residents and visitors with relevant restaurants’ operation information. Visitors can also find award-winning restaurants and eateries listed in the publication “Star Merchant Award – Restaurants and Eateries Guide”, which can be downloaded from MGTO's website, viewed on MGTO’s WeChat ID or acquired at MGTO's Tourist Information counters.
Rigorous inspections to safeguard quality
As in the past, during the Labor Day holiday, MGTO inspectors stand by round-the-clock to assist for requests through tourism hotline service, carry out rigorous inspections at various tourist spots and ports of entry, besides taking concerted action with police authorities to combat illegal accommodation.
In order to safeguard visitor rights and ensure tourism quality, MGTO has sent letters to industry operators to raise their awareness about hygiene, fire safety, guest capacity, opening hours, occupational guideline on tour group operation, requirement for hotels and catering establishments to declare price lists as well as for hotels to keep records of hotel guest information upon check-in, hotel swimming-pool management guideline and so forth. Travel agencies have been advised to urge tour bus drivers to follow traffic rules strictly. Furthermore, MGTO has sent letters advising travel agency associations to communicate with travel agencies for coordination of their itinerary arrangements for tour groups to visit major attractions.
MGTO maintains regular communication and exchange of information with the Consumer Council, Public Security Police Force, Macao Customs Service, Marine and Water Bureau, Transport Bureau and so forth.
MGTO continues to consider opinions from different sectors and maintain sound communication with stakeholders to optimize the tourism environment and service quality continuously in Macao.
