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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that owing to rising exports of services, GDP for the fourth quarter of 2016 expanded by 7.0% year-on-year in real terms, higher than the 4.4% growth in the previous quarter. Total exports of services increased by 8.2% year-on-year, underpinned by the continued expansion in tourism and gaming services, with exports of gaming services and exports of other tourism services rising by 8.1% and 8.4% respectively; meanwhile, exports of goods weakened, declining further by 21.2%. Domestic demand slipped slightly, as private consumption expenditure dropped by 0.5%, government final consumption expenditure remained stable, and gross fixed capital formation rose marginally by 0.2%; imports of goods declined by 8.0% while imports of services went up by 1.6%. Moreover, the implicit deflator of GDP that measures changes in prices increased by 1.0% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2016. Economic growth for the second and third quarters was revised upwards to -6.8% and 4.4% respectively.For the whole year of 2016, the economy of Macao shrank by 2.1% year-on-year in real terms, an apparent improvement from the 21.5% drop in 2015. The economy contracted by 9.7% in the first half of the year, followed by a rebound of 5.7% in the second half.The economic contraction in 2016 was mainly due to the weakening of total demand. Domestic demand slackened, diminishing by 5.8% year-on-year; private consumption expenditure and gross fixed capital formation reduced by 1.3% and 13.3% respectively whereas government final consumption expenditure rose by 1.7%. External demand recovered significantly in the second half of the year; total exports of services declined at a slower rate of 2.5% amid continued growth in visitor arrivals and spending; exports of gaming services and exports of other tourism services shrank by 4.4% and 1.0% respectively whereas exports of goods dropped by 21.8%.In 2016, GDP amounted to MOP358.2 billion and per-capita GDP was MOP 554,619 (about USD 69,372). The implicit deflator of GDP increased by 0.9% year-on-year.Principal Indicators of GDP* Attachment
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The 13^thChina Expo Forum for International Co-operation (CEFCO 2017) was successfully concluded on 1 January 2017. The 3-day event attracted over eight hundred professionals from the convention and exhibition industry from 25 countries and regions. CEFCO promoted the exchange and co-operation between enterprises in Mainland China and overseas with their Macao counterparts, provided opportunities for the local enterprises to attract business from abroad and further promoted the development strategy of “Priority to Convention” for Macao´s convention and exhibition industry.Michael McCarty, Executive Director of Sales at Venetian Macau Limited, venue supplier for CEFCO 2017, said that members of his team felt very excited to be able to showcase their convention and exhibition meeting spaces to the trade fair organisers and congress organisers and also felt honoured for having the opportunity of serving them. Mr. McCarty believes that the greatest significance of the event was that it enabled participants to personally feel the special characteristics of Macao´s conventions and exhibitions. In addition, he stressed that both he and the members of his team have established friendly relations with potential clients and have even received confirmation that a number of customers will be holding meetings and exhibitions in Macao in 2018 and 2019.Elisa Ng, Chief Executive Officer of Top Holidays – P&E International Travel Co. Ltd., the company responsible for the reception and travel services of CEFCO 2017, said that her company attached great attention to this event, given that all the participants were “Big Brothers” of the MICE industry and disclosed that, after the event, her company received recognitions from the “masters”, which represents the greatest affirmation of the efforts of her dedicated team. She added that both the theme and the activities of the event had special characteristics and were rich in content. In particular, she noted that the convention and exhibition operators shared the latest information and explored market trends with each other, learnt from each other, with the focus on exploring business opportunities.Innovating information technology services to inject new dynamism to the convention and exhibition industryAs a showcase event of the convention and exhibition industry, CEFCO continuously pays attention to the latest developments in the said industry, while creating brainstorming opportunities for professionals in the MICE-related sectors. This will benefit Macao, as it creates a new environment for the local conventions and exhibitions. CEFCO also introduced and showed the VR (virtual reality) technology and cloud photography services, to enable the convention and exhibition industry to gradually enter into the artificial intelligence era, and also bringing a new impetus to the local convention and exhibition industry.Keyvin Bi, Managing Director of China-Macao Resources Advertising & Exhibition Co. Ltd. explained that cloud photography service allows a few minutes after a photo has been taken, for it to be accessible online. He said that this technology will be beneficial to increase the level of participation and interaction among the participants. At the same time, it could enhance both CEFCO and Macao´s image in the area of information technology. During CEFCO, the cloud photography service was much applauded by the participants, and above all, generated more co-operation opportunities for his company.Local operators of the MICE industry agree that CEFCO´s presence in Macao has produced positive resultsA “Macao MICE Business Zone” was set up at CEFCO, which attracted participants from Mainland China and Macao, who visited the zone for information enquiries and exchange. Through this zone, some companies were able to contact over a hundred entrepreneurs in the areas of site management, event organisation and material supplies, with positive results. Sidney Mok, Chief Operating Officer of Brothers Multimedia Lda. said that, besides conventions and exhibitions organisers, hotels and local suppliers also promoted their products and services at the CEFCO venue, thus deepening the exchange between local enterprises and contributed to the co-operation of the said enterprises through the “B2B” business model.Synthia Chan, Director of Sales at Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre said that CEFCO´s presence in Macao has provided a totally new experience for the international operators of the convention and exhibition industry, who have never set foot in Macao or have never thought about organising events here. Thanks to the support of the Macao SAR Government, in facilitating visa procedures, along with perfect convention and exhibition support facilities plus strong the Chinese and Western cultural heritage, were all factors that contributed to show the fascination of Macao to the world. Nelson Liao, Manager of Conference and Exhibition Department of Nam Kwong International Conference & Exhibition Co. Ltd. said that CEFCO is an excellent platform where local companies have the opportunity to co-operate with enterprises in Mainland China and around the world and that local companies might also be invited to participate in exhibition activities, both in Mainland China and other countries and regions, with unlimited business opportunities.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total spending (excluding gaming expenses) of visitors amounted to MOP 14.79 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, up by 13.3% year-on-year and 1.0% quarter-to-quarter. Total spending of overnight visitors (MOP 12.02 billion) and same-day visitors (MOP 2.77 billion) went up by 15.8% and 3.6% respectively year-on-year. For the whole year of 2016, total spending of visitors reached MOP 52.66 billion, up by 3.0% from MOP 51.13 billion in 2015; total spending of overnight visitors (MOP 42.10 billion) increased by 4.8% while that of same-day visitors (MOP 10.56 billion) dropped by 3.6%.In the fourth quarter of 2016, per-capita spending of visitors was MOP 1,830, up by 10.2% year-on-year and 1.3% from the previous quarter (MOP 1,806). Per-capita spending of visitors from Mainland China rose by 11.3% year-on-year to MOP 2,157, with spending of those from Guangdong Province (MOP 1,839) and Fujian Province (MOP 1,596) rising by 12.9% and 17.0% respectively. Per-capita spending of Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) reached MOP 2,431, up by 3.5% year-on-year. Meanwhile, per-capita spending of visitors from Singapore (MOP 1,836) increased by 5.9% year-on-year, while spending of those from Thailand (MOP 1,086) dropped by 25.1%. Among the long-haul visitors, per-capita spending of visitors from Australia (MOP 1,467) and the United States (MOP 1,371) increased year-on-year, while spending of those from the United Kingdom (MOP 1,229) recorded decrease.Moreover, per-capita spending of overnight visitors increased by 2.4% year-on-year to MOP 2,798, with spending of those from Mainland China (MOP 3,260) and Taiwan (MOP 3,100) rising by 0.6% and 6.6% respectively year-on-year. Per-capita spending of same-day visitors went up by 11.2% year-on-year to MOP 731, with spending of those from Mainland China (MOP 906) increasing by 14.3%.With regard to type of spending, visitors spent mainly on shopping (44.3%), accommodation (26.9%) and food & beverage (20.8%). Per-capita shopping spending increased by 6.1% year-on-year to MOP 811, of which spending on local food products (MOP 232) and cosmetics & perfume (MOP 186) rose by 6.7% and 22.3% respectively. Analysed by main purpose of visit, visitors coming to Macao for shopping and for MICE events had relatively high per-capita spending, at MOP 2,832 and MOP 2,826, up by 9.8% and 25.4% respectively year-on-year.For the whole year of 2016, per-capita spending of visitors was MOP 1,701, up by 2.2% from MOP 1,665 in 2015. Per-capita spending of same-day visitors rose by 3.7% year-on-year to MOP 693, while that of overnight visitors dropped by 4.5%, at MOP 2,681. Analysed by countries and places, visitors from Mainland China had the highest per-capita spending, at MOP 1,975, up marginally by 0.5% year-on-year, with spending of IVS visitors falling by 1.4% to MOP 2,260. Meanwhile, per-capita spending of visitors from Singapore (MOP 1,773) and Japan (MOP 1,708) went up by 2.8% and 12.1% respectively year-on-year. Per-capita spending of those from Australia (MOP 1,438) increased year-on-year, while spending of those from the United States (MOP 1,262) and the United Kingdom (MOP 1,242) declined.Per-capita shopping spending of visitors in 2016 decreased by 2.4% year-on-year to MOP 744 (43.7% of per-capita spending), of which spending on local food products and cosmetics & perfume accounted for 29.5% and 21.1% respectively. Meanwhile, per-capita spending on accommodation (MOP 463) and food & beverage (MOP 355) rose by 9.3% and 3.2% respectively year-on-year. Analysed by main purpose of visit, per-capita spending of visitors coming to Macao for MICE events reached MOP 2,700, up by 10.1% year-on-year; the corresponding proportion of visitors made up merely 0.7% of the total, yet representing a year-on-year increase of 0.3 percentage points.According to the results of the Visitors’ Comments Survey, 89.7% of the visitor-users in the fourth quarter of 2016 were satisfied with the services and facilities of hotels, down slightly by 0.8 percentage points quarter-to-quarter; the proportion of visitors who expressed satisfaction with services of gaming establishments rose by 1.3 percentage points to 84.8%. Meanwhile, more than half of the visitors (51.3%) commented that the points of tourist attractions were adequate, up notably by 6.3 percentage points quarter-to-quarter. For the whole year of 2016, the proportions of visitors who were satisfied with the services and facilities of hotels (90.1%) and services of travel agencies (85.3%) were the highest, up by 1.5 and 2.1 percentage points respectively year-on-year, while the proportion of those who expressed satisfaction with the services of gaming facilities (84.2%) remained stable. Meanwhile, a relatively low proportion of visitors were satisfied with the services of public transport (69.4%), down by 3.3 percentage points year-on-year. Moreover, 44.8% of visitors commented that the points of tourist attractions were adequate, up by 2.3 percentage points year-on-year.
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This number of the Review of Culturefeatures a compilation of articles devoted to this remarkable figure, founder of the D. Melchior Carneiro Institute, and to the leading role he played in Macanese society for half a century. Educator, historian and writer, Benjamin Videira Pires, S.J. is here honoured by Jorge A. H. Rangel, Aureliano Barata, António Aresta, Ana Cristina Alves, Celina Veiga de Oliveira, Jorge Bruxo, Maria de Lurdes Escaleira and Jorge de Abreu Arrimar. An article on the categorization of the Early Literature of Macao and the role of Tang Xianzu, by Cai Jiehua and Roderich Ptak, introduces a new chapter devoted to literature, where as well the novel Os Doresby Henrique de Senna Fernandes, serves as a subject of study for the two academics to produce an insight into Macao.The Asian discovery of the Great South Land and the sandalwood trade Timor-Macao are issues discussed by Geoffrey Gunn in the chapter that concludes this number.TheReview of Culture (RCI), published by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, is available at the Portuguese Bookstore, Cultural Plaza, Seng Kwong Bookstore, Macao Archives and Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre. It is also available for consultation at the Central Library, at the Archive of Macao and at the libraries of Macao universities.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals in January 2017 increased by 17.6% year-on-year to 2,876,046 as the Lunar New Year, that fell in February last year, happened in January this year. Compared to December 2016, visitor arrivals went up by 2.2%. Overnight visitors increased by 18.9% year-on-year to 1,363,046 while same-day visitors rose by 16.4% to 1,513,000. The average length of stay of visitors was 1.1 days, down by 0.1 day year-on-year; the average stay of overnight visitors dropped by 0.1 day to 2.1 days whereas that of same-day visitors remained unchanged at 0.2 day.Visitors from Mainland China increased by 20.4% year-on-year to 1,997,355 in January, with those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme (1,128,516) surging by 43.8%. Mainland visitors came mainly from Guangdong Province (991,220) and Hunan Province (70,718). Visitors from the Republic of Korea (81,448) and Hong Kong (527,218) both increased by 17.6% while those from Taiwan (84,263) dropped by 2.0%. Long-haul visitors from the United States (15,434), Canada (6,089) and the United Kingdom (4,163) increased year-on-year whereas those from Australia (9,230) decreased.Analysed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land increased by 19.8% year-on-year to 1,798,536; those arriving through the Border Gate (1,527,153) rose by 15.0% while those through the Checkpoint of Cotai (270,214) soared by 57.3%. Visitor arrivals by sea increased by 14.1% year-on-year to 859,949; those disembarking at the Outer Harbour (551,151) and the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa (308,798) rose by 16.4% and 15.3% respectively. Visitor arrivals by air increased by 13.8% year-on-year to 217,561, with those arriving at the airport (216,775) rising by 13.8%.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals in January 2017 increased by 17.6% year-on-year to 2,876,046 as the Lunar New Year, that fell in February last year, happened in January this year. Compared to December 2016, visitor arrivals went up by 2.2%. Overnight visitors increased by 18.9% year-on-year to 1,363,046 while same-day visitors rose by 16.4% to 1,513,000. The average length of stay of visitors was 1.1 days, down by 0.1 day year-on-year; the average stay of overnight visitors dropped by 0.1 day to 2.1 days whereas that of same-day visitors remained unchanged at 0.2 day.
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Macao would dedicate further effort to boosting trade and investment cooperation and people-to-people exchanges with Fujian Province, in order to make further contributions to the country’s “Belt and Road” initiative.
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Prof Chen Xin from the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau (UM), and Dr Joost J Oppenheim from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), have made significant progress in a collaborative research project on safer and more effective treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases. They found that targeting tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFR2) can enhance anti-tumour immune responses and kill cancer cells, bringing new hope to cancer patients. The related findings have been published in Science Signaling under Science magazine.Prof Chen has conducted a series of groundbreaking studies on TNFR2’s role in the proper function and proliferation of T lymphocytes. Although counterintuitive and contrary to all previous reports, his research results have been replicated by many research groups from around the world, revolutionising the scientific community’s understanding of the subject. Scientists have been searching for safer and more effective treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases based on the discoveries made by Prof Chen. A new cancer immunotherapy developed by a research team led by Prof Faustman from Harvard Medical School based on Prof Chen’s research findings has been hailed as one of the most important breakthroughs in tumour research.In addition, Prof Chen has been invited by the Frontiers in Immunology journal to co-edit The Role of TNF-TNFR2 Signal in Immunosuppressive Cells and its Therapeutic Implicationswith Prof Magdalena Plebanski from Monash University in Australia.Prof Chen joined UM in 2014. Prior to that, he was a senior scientist at NCI for 15 years and received the Director's Innovation Award in 2010. Currently he is a research collaborator of the NCI.
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Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macau Artist Society, the “Solo Exhibition by Ho Si Man” will be inaugurated on Sunday, 26 February, at 12pm, at the Lakeside Gallery in the Anim’Arte NAM VAN. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy local artworks.The exhibition will showcase a total of 20 watercolour and acrylic works by Ho Si Man, including categories such as Macao scenery, travelling stories and inner feelings, which cover unrealistic, uncommon, twisted, parallel, tranquil and other themes. The works, specially created for this exhibition, show an abundant imagination and a variety of textures. Ho Si Man is a local female artist of the 1990’s generation; she is currently studying bachelor degree in oil painting. Her artworks have been shown in Mainland China, Korea, France (Paris) and Hong Kong, among other places. She is an executive member of the Youth Committee of the Macau Artist Society and an officer of the Art Club of the International Women Artists Association–Macao.The “Solo Exhibition by Ho Si Man” is open until 26 March, at the Lakeside Gallery in Anim’Arte NAM VAN, located at Nam Van Lakeside Plaza at Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, and is open daily from 11am to 10pm. Admission is free. The exhibition is open to the general public and the artworks are available for sale.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today that protecting the wellbeing of the Macao public was the Government’s prime concern when studying whether to retain smoking lounges in local casinos.Mr Chui made the remarks to reporters this morning at the city’s airport before leaving for Fuzhou Prefecture in Fujian Province for a Fujian-Macao high-level meeting on the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.Macao’s contribution to the country’s development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative) is part of the city’s strategic development programme.In his remarks before setting off on his trip, Mr Chui reviewed the Government’s efforts to promote a tobacco-smoke-free Macao.He noted the Health Bureau was currently analysing a joint proposal – by the six local gaming operators – regarding a set of higher technical standards for the existing smoking lounges in local casinos.The Chief Executive said the Government had submitted last year a proposed amendment to the Regime on Tobacco Prevention and Control. The amendments related to smoking in casinos, among other topics. The initiative was part of a scheduled review of the tobacco prevention and control regime. Such review was timetabled three years on from original implementation.Last year’s proposal by the Government was now being discussed at the Legislative Assembly.The original version of the Regime on Tobacco Prevention and Control became effective on 1 January 2012. It banned smoking in public indoor areas such as schools, health institutes, workplaces and factories. Since 1 January 2013, smoking has been banned in major public areas in casinos, including mass gaming floors, and in all bars, dance halls, saunas and massage parlours.In other remarks, Mr Chui commented on the appointment in 2015 of former public prosecutor-general, Mr Ho Chio Meng, as the head of a commission for the study of the criminal law system. Subsequently Mr Ho was held by the Macao authorities for investigation.His 2015 appointment was made on the basis of Mr Ho’s experience and ability, the Chief Executive said. For a civil servant to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities did not necessarily mean the person was suspected of any wrongdoing. Mr Chui said he had not been aware – when he made the appointment – that Mr Ho was a subject of an investigation. He noted such types of investigation were typically conducted on a confidential basis.Mr Chui also made comments regarding the redevelopment of the Estrada de Lai Chi Vun area in Coloane – a previous hub for ship repair work. Mr Chui stressed that ensuring public safety was the top priority of the Government when formulating a redevelopment plan for the area.The plan would include conservation measures and efforts to revitalise the surroundings. The scheme as proposed would involve a number of Government departments, Mr Chui added.
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