The Guangdong-Macau and Fujian-Macau “Tourism Notification System for Spring Festival Golden Week” will be operated from February 2 to 9 to ensure a smooth and hospitable welcome to visitors during Lunar New Year. MGTO urges visitors to stay in licensed hotels or guesthouses. MGTO has established a regular mechanism with hotels in Macau, which requires each hotel to report the rates of different room categories when opening for business and on renewal of its license every year. Each hotel also needs to inform MGTO in advance the revised room rates and will be penalized if the rate is found to be higher than the registered one. To provide Mainland visitors with Macau’s most updated tourism information, hotels in Macau are requested to report the average room rates and occupancy rates to MGTO before and during the Golden Week and MGTO will notify major source markets in the Mainland (Guangdong and Fujian provinces) of the relevant information, which will then be released by local tourism bureaus to the media. MGTO, the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration and the Fujian Tourism Administration will trial run the Golden Week notification system from January 31 to February 1 and the system will be activated from February 2 to 9. Through this system, MGTO transmits to its counterparts in Guangdong and Fujian daily information such as the number of visitors that entered Macau the day before, the share of Mainland visitors, average room rates for the ensuing five days and hotel occupancy rates. During the golden week holiday, MGTO will strengthen publicity efforts to raise awareness against illegal accommodation. Besides distributing flyers, advertisements posted on buses and taxis will remind visitors to stay away from illegal accommodation for a safe and pleasant journey. MGTO also joins force with other departments to adopt measures to prevent infectious diseases and ensure fire safety. MGTO also urges hotels and restaurants to pay attention to hygiene guidelines and the travel trade to safeguard the rights of Macau residents. During the Spring Festival period, MGTO inspectors will intensify surveillance at Macau's most visited sites and border checkpoints, while MGTO information counters and the tourism hotline 28 333 000 continues to operate. The tourism hotline will be attended by operators around the clock. The two public bus companies are advised to maintain sufficient service to cope with the surge in passenger flow. Spring Festival is a peak season for outbound trips of Mainland visitors. A series of celebrations and activities will be organized by MGTO and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) for visitors to fully experience the excitement and vibrancy in Macau during Lunar New Year. MGTO and IACM join hands to organize celebratory activities on the first and second day of Lunar New Year at the Ruins of St. Paul's and Senado Square to mark the spring festival and add a festive atmosphere to the city with dragon and lion dances. Lucky "Lai Si" will be distributed at MGTO counters during Lunar New Year. On Lunar New Year's Eve, MGTO will stage a splendid fireworks display set off from barges anchored in waters just off the Macau Tower to usher in the Year of the Rabbit. Activities and entertainment organized by IACM also include New Year flowers and gifts stalls at Tap Seac Square, firecrackers and fireworks zones, folk dance performances and exhibitions at various spots in Macau.
