Spanning a week (1 – 7 October), 1st October Golden Week will start tomorrow officially. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has been actively preparing for its arrival in various aspects including food guide publication and activation of the tourism notification system. The Office has also increased its inspection duties and launched an online system for hotels and guest houses to report their room rates. Through a series of measures, MGTO makes a great effort not only to cater for citizens and visitors' needs but also to improve service quality in the tourism industry. The tourism notification system for 1st October Golden Week will officially come into operation between MGTO and Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province since 28 September until 8 October. MGTO will release related information online as a platform, which includes updating every previous day's Mainland and total visitor arrivals at various ports in Macau. The highest room rates offered by different hotels during the Golden Week will also be posted online. Both tourism authorities will maintain close communication with each other during the aforementioned period. MGTO regularly releases the reported room rates of different room categories offered by hotels and guest houses in Macau online. Citizens and guests can browse MGTO's website for further information and room rates of hotels and guest houses. Before 1st October Golden Week arrives, the Office has also introduced a room-rate report system online for industry partners to update their room rates on the Internet in order to raise the report system's efficiency and enable visitors to obtain the latest information. MGTO publishes the "Macau Food Guide for 1st October Vacation" (Chinese version only) together with General Union of the Macau Neighborhood Association, The United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macau, The Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District as well as The Industry and Commerce Federation of Islands of Macau. The guide offers a contact list of restaurants open during 1st October Golden Week for visitors to get their operation info conveniently. MGTO has also launched the first four walking tour routes themed as "Step Out, Experience Macau's Communities" lately, encouraging visitors to stroll around Macau leisurely and explore different neighborhoods for hidden gems. The new routes are expected to divert visitors off the beaten tourist track in order to alleviate the burden and foster community tourism. Visitors can download the food guide and the four walking tour maps from MGTO's website: http://www.macautourism.gov.mo or acquire the printed copies for free from the Office's Tourist Information counters. For Mainland visitors who plan to visit Macau during the Golden Week, MGTO will advise them via WeChat and mobile messages to make room reservation in advance and check local room rates on MGTO's website if needed; the Office also encourages visitors to download travel information online before their trip to Macau or acquire the printed materials at MGTO's Tourist Information counters upon arrival so that they can obtain more useful information in hand. Meanwhile, MGTO will strengthen its inspection duties at various sightseeing attractions, ports and areas while increasing the manpower at Tourist Information counters. MGTO's Tourism Hotline 2833 3000 will maintain its 24-hour operator service as usual with inspectors standing by round the clock to help visitors with their enquiries, whereas visitors can browse MGTO's website for travel tips and related information. The Office has also sent a written reminder to industry partners regarding concerns about health and hygiene, food safety, fire safety, opening hours, occupational guidelines for tour group operators, requirements for hotel room-rate report and so on. MGTO also maintains communication and exchanges news with Consumer Council, Public Security Police Force, Macau Customs Service, Marine and Water Bureau, Transport Bureau and so forth. Through the "Real-Time Information Platform of Border Ports" offered by Public Security Police Force, visitors can check the real-time border-crossing images at the arrival & departure halls and traffic lanes of Barrier Gate, Outer Harbour and Cotai Frontier Post by visiting the platform webpage: www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/pspmonitor on phone or computer. Visitors can therefore choose a suitable timing to leave or arrive in Macau flexibly. MGTO has posted a direct link to Public Security Police Force's webpage "Real-Time Information Platform of Border Ports" on its website as well. In addition, the "Tourism Law of the People's Republic of China" will take effect on 1st October. MGTO thus invited a policy expert from China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) to address explanation sessions in Macau for related official departments and travel industry partners on July so that they could gain a clearer understanding of the Tourism Law and its relations with both destinations' tourism development. MGTO will persist in carrying out its relevant duties properly in accord with the new law, hoping that the concerted efforts of all sectors will steer the tourism market toward a sound development course.