News

The Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) participated in the "24th Meeting of the Asia Pacific Air Navigation Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APANPIRG)" and the "3rd Meeting of the Regional Aviation Safety Group - Asia Pacific (RASG-APAC)" held in Bangkok from 24 to 28 June 2013 to discuss with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the aeronautical authorities of other Asian Pacific countries about the work items for the coming year. The APANPIRG is an annual meeting in the Asia Pacific Region with the objective of allowing attendees to discuss about the enhancement of operation safety through further improving the facilities and procedures in four main issues, namely the air traffic management, airspace safety monitoring, communication/navigation/surveillance systems, and meteorology. The 24th Meeting was held from 24 to 26 June 2013, during which AACM took part in the Air Traffic Management Sub-group and the Communication/Navigation/Surveillance Systems Sub-group. In the Air Traffic Management Sub-group, the Aerodrome Operations and Planning Working Group which is a subsidiary of the said Sub-group, was chaired by the Director of Airport Infrastructure and Air Navigation of AACM, Mr. Kevin Lam, who was elected to be the chairperson of this Working Group in this May. The Aerodrome Operations and Planning Working Group was attended by more than 40 delegates from over 20 states/administrations or international organizations. The Working Group adopted the following decisions: in the area of airport pavement operation, ICAO will provide the definition of "unrestricted operations" in the relevant guidance material; in the area of runway safety, the aeronautical authorities will work together with their airports to establish runway safety teams and runway safety programmes; in the area of aerodrome certification, the Working Group urged states/administrations who have not yet implemented the requirements of aerodrome certification and safety management systems to do so as high priority; in the area of creating clearance for aircraft at an airport, ICAO will carry out study on the provision of guidance material for vertical clearance between an aircraft and an object on aircraft stands; in the area of obstacle limitation surfaces, ICAO will take into reference the advancement of air navigation systems and the need for land use optimization to review the obstacle limitation surfaces requirements and amend when necessary to cope with the development of the air transport businesses in Asia Pacific. Being the chairman of the Meeting, AACM will put its best endeavours in the four-year chairmanship to coordinate with the other members to aim for the betterment of air navigation services in Asia Pacific. The 3rd RASG-APAC was held from 27 to 28 June 2013 and attended by more than 100 participants from over 30 states/administrations or international organizations. The Meeting came up with 24 decisions, including the conclusion of the guidance materials for controlled flight into terrain, loss of control in flight, runway excursions and incursions, and so on. In addition, the new Global Aviation Safety Plan which was approved by the ICAO Council in this May was also introduced in the Meeting. The new Global Aviation Safety Plan aims at providing a performance framework and assistance to ICAO's member states and administrations, the airlines worldwide and the Aviation Safety Groups in Asia Pacific, Pan American Region, Europe, Middle East and Africa, in their formulation of the aviation safety plans. The Meeting discussed how the RASG-APAC should define their safety priorities and targets in compliance with this new Plan and agreed that the follow-up work of such compliance would be a task item for the coming year. In 2012, AACM cooperated with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore to write the working paper on "Sharing of Information on Potential Precursors to Air Accidents" which was already presented and approved in the 2nd RASG-APAC. The 3rd Meeting concluded the follow-up task of this working paper by assigning the Safety Reporting and Programme Ad hoc Working Group to be the focal group for matters relating to this task and to provide data analysis capabilities. AACM wishes to state that aviation is a highly international industry. The stable development of the air transport services between two places requires the safe operation of both places to achieve at the same standard. Therefore, the aviation safety policy of Macao does not only focus on internal monitoring within its own Special Administration Region. AACM ensures that all aviation activities under Macao's jurisdiction comply with Macao's aviation laws and regulations and the international standards. At the same time, AACM also wishes to collaborate with ICAO and other aeronautical authorities, or through technical assistance rendered to each other, to work together to enhance the entire aviation safety level in Asia Pacific. Being a counterpart in Asia Pacific, Macao actively participates in the various working groups or task forces motivated by ICAO. Macao takes the notion that through sharing of resources, Macao can exchange information with foreign experts or render consultancy service to other states that require it, hence making bigger contribution to aviation safety enhancement in Asia Pacific
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In order to combat different forms of trafficking in persons, the Human Trafficking Deterrent Measures Concern Committee organises the"Workshop on Combat Trafficking in Persons: Forced Labor" at the Labour Affairs Bureau on 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 July. Legal Advisors from the Office of the Secretary for Security are invited as speakers and participants include officers from the Labour Affairs Bureau, Macao Customs, Unitary Police, Public Security Police, Judiciary Police and Legal Affairs Bureau. Content of the workshop is divided into theory and practice. Participants will be introduced the relevant laws and forms crime, as well as victim identification techniques. At present, a screening questionnaire is adopted to high risk groups in order to effectively identify human trafficking victims. The questionnaire has recently been amended and is broadened to the area of screening forced labour victims. Speaker of the workshop will introduce to the participants effective ways to use the questionnaire. According to the law, all victims of trafficking in persons (including sexual exploitation and forced labour) are emtitled to protection by the Government. Protection offered to the victims include visa, shelter, medical, financial, legal and social reintegration assistance.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) hosted the Annual Marketing Meeting in Macau from June 24 – 28. MGTO's overseas market representatives came to Macau to report their work progress and discuss upcoming promotional strategies at the meeting. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U met with the overseas representatives at a luncheon after the meeting adjourned on June 28. MGTO and the representatives visited Hong Kong afterwards for a meeting with Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on June 29 to exchange ideas and discuss cooperation opportunities. Over 50 overseas representatives of MGTO came from 16 countries and regions to attend the 5-day Annual Marketing Meeting. As the meeting commenced, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes presented Macau tourism's latest development to the representatives and advised them with regard to marketing strategies. Senna Fernandes remarked that MGTO is actively developing cultural and community tourism which includes cultivating new sightseeing routes and rich tourism elements, thus guiding visitors to explore different communities and fostering the diversification of tourism products and markets. MGTO also keeps promoting Tourism Awareness Campaign, a scheme which encourages citizens and visitors to actively support and participate in Macau travel industry. MGTO required the overseas representatives to carry out promotion work in line with Macau's tourism trend and the goal of developing Macau into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. The representatives will also highlight the mega events this year in their destination promotion, including the 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, the 60th Macau Grand Prix and the upcoming 2nd edition of Global Tourism Economy Forum in September. They also attended the press conferences and explanatory sessions for the related events during the marketing meeting. During the meeting, MGTO's related department heads held individual meetings with the representatives to evaluate their work achievements over the past year and discuss their future projects in order to carry out more effective promotional activities. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U led MGTO's superiors, department heads and overseas representatives to Hengqin on June 27 for an inspection visit to the Chimelong International Ocean Resort, a project which will be completed in near future and Hengqin New Area Planning Exhibition Hall. Secretary Cheong was also present at the luncheon after the marketing meeting's summary session on June 28, an occasion to meet and have group photos with MGTO officials and market representatives. During his address to the representatives, Secretary Cheong indicated that Macau tourism industry is thriving upon a sound foundation; as various transportation, infrastructure and mega tourism projects are under construction now and will soon be completed successively, he hoped that the representatives will keep working hard to enhance their promotion in overseas markets and increase the international visitor arrivals to Macau. MGTO's officials and overseas representatives also attended the annual marketing exchange meeting with HKTB in Hong Kong on June 29 to discuss tourism cooperation between the two destinations. The two parties exchanged ideas regarding marketing and promotion strategies while discussing opportunities for their mutual cooperation in overseas markets and sharing their successful promotion ideas with each other.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on milk powder on 28th June for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
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IFT Tourism Research Centre (ITRC) is releasing Q4 2012 quarterly and 2012 annual results of the Macao Tourist Satisfaction Index (MTSI). ITRC has been collecting quarterly data on visitor satisfaction in Macao since 2009 and its database now spans results covering more than three years. Reports can be downloaded from the ITRC website: http://www.ift.edu.mo/itrc. Highlights of the latest findings are as follows: Visitor satisfaction barely above the 'psychological passing mark' as at Q4 2012
ITRC's latest analysis of the Tourist Satisfaction Index (TSI) for Macao shows visitor satisfaction during the last quarter of 2012 was 70.2 out of the maximum 100 of the scale. Although this performance is slightly lower than the 70.7 recorded in third quarter of 2012, the index remains around the 'psychological passing mark' of 70, above which previous highs of the TSI were recorded during 2009 and 2010. The overall long-term trend for overall visitor satisfaction, however, continues to show a slight downward trend. Nevertheless, the TSI has been steadily improving since 2011. See Figure 1. Full year MTSI improved in 2012
A total of 4,616 respondents were interviewed throughout 2012 across ten tourism-related sectors in Macao. The full year MTSI score for 2012 is 69.8, which shows a slight improvement of 1.7 points compared with the 68.1 full year result of 2011. Only the year of 2010 was found to perform exceptionally well and the TSI of that year peaked at 72.1. Looking at the long-term performance of Macao's tourism industry, the TSI of 2012 is marginally below the four-year average of 69.9 covering the period of 2009 to 2012. See Figure 2. Visitors are most satisfied with services provided by the events sector, followed by transportation and hotels in 2012; performance of the heritage sector deteriorates remarkably
Results for 2012 show the events sector (73.7) to be improving steadily and consistently outperforming other sectors. Transportation (72.3) and hotels (71.0) are ranked the second and third. Though improvements are found in restaurants (68.1), tour guides/operators (67.2) and immigration service (66.9), they continue to lag behind the other sectors. It is encouraging that nine out of ten sectors showed improvement in visitor satisfaction in 2012 compared to 2011. Transportation (↑5.33%, 72.3), retails shops (↑4.77%, 69.7) and immigration service (↑4.03%, 66.9) score significantly higher in 2012. On the other hand, substantial decline in satisfaction in the heritage attractions (↓3.21%, 69.0) is recorded, which pulled down its ranking from the second in 2011 to the seventh in 2012. See Figure 3. Comparing Macao's TSI with other destinations
Because ITRC conducts the TSI research in conjunction with regional partners in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhuhai in Mainland China, we are able to compare Macao's performance relative to those destinations. The comparison of TSI across different destinations allows us to determine the relative competitiveness and performance of Macao. The results for 2012 shows Hong Kong TSI to have the highest TSI score (75.1), followed by Guangzhou (73.1), and Macao (69.8) at the third place. See Figure 4. About the MTSI
Every quarter since 2009, ITRC has been measuring the level of visitor satisfaction in Macao across various sectors. Results across all sectors are averaged to form an overall Macao Tourist Satisfaction Index (MTSI). The ten tourism- related sectors in the TSI include (a) casinos, (b) events, (c) heritage attractions, (d) hotels, (e) immigration services, (f) non-heritage attractions, (g) restaurants, (h) retail shops, (i) tour guides/ operators, and (j) transportation services. With similar studies conducted by partners in other countries, results obtained in Macao are compared, when available, with those obtained in Hong Kong, Singapore, Shenzhen, and other destinations for comparing performance and competitive benchmarking.
Methodology
The MTSI is measured using a field survey in which respondents are selected and interviewed based on a systematic random sampling technique. Interviews with visitors are conducted at major tourist sites and transport terminals in Macao. Around 1,150 interviews are conducted quarterly. The TSI is an index comprised of the responses to three major questions: overall satisfaction, performance compared with expectations and with ideal performance given TSI model estimates. Results are transformed and reported on a scale ranging from 0- to 100-points. The higher is the score on the index, the higher is the level of satisfaction. The overall TSI is the average of all ten sectoral TSIs. For more information
Please contact Ms. Virginia Hong or Ms. Wendy Tang (itrc@ift.edu.mo). * please find the attached file.
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In order to share the fruits of economic development with the general public, the Macao SAR government had announced the"Wealth Partaking Scheme 2013", under which, local permanent residents would receive 8,000 patacas, whereas non-permanent residents 4,800 patacas. With the Administrative Regulation No.11/2013 gazetted, the scheme came into effect on 14 May 2013, and its implementation will officially start in July. The distribution overview is as follow: 1. Beneficiaries
1) Holders of valid or renewable Macau SAR Resident Identity Card on 31 December 2012 are entitled to receiving the cash premium.
2) Pursuant to Article 3 (2) of Law No.8/2002 regarding the circumstances of non-compulsory acquisition of resident identity card, persons below the age of 5 on 31 December 2012, will be granted the cash premium upon the obtainment of the abovementioned identification document.
3) Holders of valid or renewable Macao SAR Resident Identity Card who are currently residing abroad will be granted the cash premium, provided that they can prove that they are unable to renew their Macao SAR Resident Identity Card due to the reason of bedridden, completely or partly paralyzed. For those who have submitted the documentary proof and were granted the cash premium in the previous year, the Social Welfare Bureau is authorized to exempt them from documents resubmission if it is concluded that no new evidence is needed for the approval of current Scheme after analyzing the existing documents.
4) Macau SAR residents, who are eligible for this scheme, have not received the cash by reason of death, the respective amount can be requested by the administrator of the deceased's estate, which is required under Article 1917 of the Civil Code for the administration of the deceased estate unit its liquidation and distribution. 2. Modes of distribution
1) Bank transfer
The following individuals will have the cash premium disbursed by means of bank transfer:
- Persons receiving financial assistance or subsidy for senior citizens from the Social Welfare Bureau;
- Teaching staff receiving direct subsidy as well as students in tertiary education receiving student aid from the Student Benefits Fund of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau;
- Retired civil servants receiving retirement pension and other persons receiving aforesaid pension for the family of the deceased;
- Civil servants.
2) Crossed cheque mailing
The rest qualified for being awarded the cash premium will receive the crossed cheque via mail by the Identification Services Bureau. Details are as follows:
- Beneficiaries aged 18 or above will each receive a cheque made payable to the beneficiary;
- Minor beneficiaries (under the age of 18) will each receive a cheque made payable to the beneficiary, his/her father, and his/her mother, which may be deposited either into the beneficiary's account, his/her father's account, or his/her mother's account. The crossed cheque will be sent via mail so as to enable the beneficiaries to get the cheque in the simplest way. Since it is a crossed cheque, it can only be deposited into the payee's account, in this way, even if one gets the cheque of others, in no way can be the cheque cashed. 3) Special circumstances
The Social Welfare Bureau shall be responsible for the distribution of cash premium to the following persons: persons stated in above 1 (3), minors whose guardianship has not been established, incompetent persons and persons deprived of their liberty by rehabilitative measures or subjected to criminal punishment.
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To raise citizens' concerns for inmates, Macao Prison previously organized a photo contest entitled "A Smile‧An Encouragement‧ Let's Support the Inmates" with assistance from the Photographic Society of Macau. The contest received 162 entries and the evaluation was completed on 19 June. Director of Government Information Bureau Chan Chi Ping, Director General of Photographic Society of Macau Cheong Io Tong, and jointly with Director of Macao Prison Lee Kam Cheong formed the evaluation committee of the contest, the entries were evaluated based on entries' relevance, aesthetic quality and photography skills. After three rounds of professional screening, judging and comparison, a first prize, a second prize, a third prize, five merit prizes and ten nominations were selected from the public category, while a first prize, a second prize, a third prize and five merit prizes were chosen from the student category. Public Category winning results: first prize winner Tang Chan Seng: Happy Face; second prize winner Tang Kai Lon: Conquering the Darkness; third prize winner Ng Hoi Kei: Children in the Mountains. The five merit prize winners are, in no particular order, Tang Chan Seng: Angel of Love; Tang Kai Lon: Giving you a Smile; Lok Wai Keong: Smile of Truth, Goodness and Beauty; Lok Wai Keong: Innocent Smile; Cheong Mei Son: Smile to Welcome Spring. The ten Nominations are, in no particular order, José Lopes Lai: Ha Ha Ha; José Lopes Lai: Rushing with a Smile; Lam Hon U: Smiling Little Angel; Ng Hoi Kei: Sister and Brother; Lam Sao Wa: Children Fun; Lam Sao Wa: Joyful Family Trip; Lam Kuok Keong: Grateful for New Life; Chan Kuong Chong: Joyful Smile; Chan Kuong Chong: Happy Childhood; Hon Peng U: Happy Fisherman Family. Student category winning results: first prize winner Silvestre, Juvina Angelica: Cultivation; second Prize winner Lei Kei Fong: Forward; third prize winner Ho U Tong: Smiling Boy. The five merit prize winners are, in no particular order, Si Un Cheng: Smile; Chan Wai San: Encouragement and Support; Silvestre, Juvina Angelica: Lovely Child; Chim Kin Ieong: Smile, Hug; Kuok Hoi Neng, Naive Smile. The prize presentation ceremony will be held on 4 July 2013 at Macao Forum during the opening ceremony of "Macao Prison Inmates' Handicraft Exhibition 2013". The winning entries will also be displayed in the said venue and uploaded to the Macao Prison website (www.epm.gov.mo) and the Photographic Society of Macau website (www.psm.org). Winners will be notified regarding the collection of prizes. For any queries, please dial 8896 1280 or 8896 1283.
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The Macau Grand Prix Committee (MGPC) today announced Star River‧Windsor Arch as title sponsor of the 60th Macau Grand Prix. The official title of the Diamond Jubilee edition of the legendary event will be the Star River‧Windsor Arch 60th Macau Grand Prix. In addition to being overall sponsor, the company, which has supported the event for several years, is also title sponsor of all three prestigious headline races on the programme: The FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup, the Star River‧Windsor Arch Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix; The Star River‧Windsor Arch Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 47th Edition, the world-famous two-wheeled thriller; and the FIA World Touring Car Championship – Guia Race of Macau – Presented by Star River‧Windsor Arch, the grand finale of the 2013 season. Sponsorship of the overall event as well as the three blue riband races will ensure Star River‧Windsor Arch substantial local and worldwide coverage, and represents the most extensive involvement of the company in the Grand Prix to date. Title sponsorship of several of the other races on the two-weekend, six-day programme has already been snapped up. The Grand Prix's increasingly-popular sportscar race, which features the world's most revered automotive marques driven by an impressive field of international and regional professionals, will be known as the City of Dreams Macau GT Cup for the second consecutive year. Likewise, the race for modified road cars, which has also earned itself a legion of enthusiastic fans, will again be known as the Suncity Group Macau Road Sport Challenge, while the annual thrilling showdown between the neighbouring SARs will once again be known as the Hotel Fortuna MAC / HKG Interport Race. As announced earlier, this year the official Safety Car will be a Bentley Continental GT, with the Bentley Flying Spur as the Official Car, while the Rescue Vehicles will be Raffles Passat Variant V6s.
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As the Macau Grand Prix prepares to mark a significant milestone in its rich history, preparations are well underway to usher in a new era of development. Major infrastructure projects are currently proceeding, and enhanced improvements in the areas of safety and logistics are planned for the 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee. Two decades ago the existing Macau Grand Prix building was completed – just in time for the 40th running of the event. In the 20 years since, the stature of the Grand Prix has grown to such an extraordinary extent that the race programme now includes two FIA events – the FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup and the double-header season finale of the FIA World Touring Car Championship – in addition to the world renowned Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix and a trio of international races which ushered in a new era in 2011: The Macau GT Cup, the Roadsport Challenge and the Macau Touring Car Cup. As the Grand Prix becomes increasingly popular with yet more drivers, teams, journalists and supporters from the world over flocking to the SAR each year, this year's Diamond Jubilee signifies an exciting new era with the start of the two-phase construction of a new Macau Grand Prix building. Phase I of the project will see the completion of a new Race Control Tower in time for the 60th running of the Grand Prix, while the existing Grand Prix Building will remain in operation until the completion of the November event. The Grand Prix building is scheduled for demolition at the end of 2013 or early 2014, with the new facility completed in time for the 61st Macau Grand Prix. Demolition of the 20-year-old Race Control Tower is now complete, and foundation works for the new building were completed on June 20th. Construction of the new structure is already underway, with Phase I of the Macau Grand Prix development project to be operational by the end of October this year. For the Guia Circuit itself, each year new measures are added in line with developments in FIA safety regulations. As this year marks the start of the new era, additional safety features, such as tall crash protection barriers and fences, will be implemented to ensure both driver and spectator safety. In order to improve traffic flow during the event itself, the number of gates in the Armco barriers will increase again this year. The number of moveable gates will rise from last year's 110 to 120, with additional locations including the exits at residential parking lots and the hospital. On the track, resurfacing will begin from this summer onwards and work in busy areas will be carried out at night and during the day at weekends and minimise possible inconvenience to local residents.
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From Seoul to Sydney, the Macau Grand Prix Committee (MGPC) and the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) are joining hands to promote the 60th Macau Grand Prix Diamond Jubilee celebrations across the world. Organized by MGTO, the 2013 Macau Festival was held from April 5-7 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and featured the 2001 Macau Grand Prix-winning Formula 3 car of former F1 driver Takuma Sato. At the 10th anniversary of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix from April 10-12, MGPC and MGTO partnered to promote the Macau Grand Prix Diamond Jubilee celebrations at the Shanghai International Circuit to the more than 190,000 spectators who attended the three-day event. In Australia, the storied history of the Macau Grand Prix was celebrated at a Sydney exhibition organized by MGTO Australia which featured past drivers and winners as well as the inaugural 1954 Macau Grand Prix trophy. Among the special guests at the May 23-26 event was legendary Australian driver Brian Lewis, who raced for Eduardo de Carvalho's Macau Grand Prix team in the 1960s, while members of de Carvalho's family, who emigrated from Macau to Australia in 1965, visited the exhibition on the final day to fete the family heirloom. The launch of the exhibit brought out legends and past Macau Grand Prix winners Kevin Bartlett (1969), Vern Schuppan (1974 and 1976), who famously raced for Teddy Yip's eponymous Theodore Racing team, and Fernanda Ribeiro who won the ladies' race in 1956. A week-long 2013 Experience Macau Festival in Seoul featured Korean driver Im Che-won, who is now based in Spain and competing in the European F3 Open's Copa Class, among several VIPs, as well as the car that Spaniard Daniel Juncadella drove to victory in the 2011 Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix. Closer to home, for the first time in its 59-year history, a competition was held to find a theme song for the 60th Macau Grand Prix. The contest, open to all Macau residents, attracted more than 20 entries. The quality of all the entries highlighted the extraordinary depth of musical talent Macau possesses, as well as the inspiration the Grand Prix holds for the residents to whom it belongs. The appropriately-titled 'Number 1', a song composed by Mok Ka Hang and Filipe Tou, was declared the winner. Runners-up in the competition were "GP Racing" and "Racing for our Dreams", while the remaining seven finalists were presented with Merit Awards. As well as reaching out to individual travellers across the region, MGPC participated in a Mini Mart for the Southeast Asian Tourism trade organized by MGTO on April 16 at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre. The event represented an opportunity to highlight the numerous unique opportunities the Grand Prix represents for the industry across the region. A focal point of both the promotions and the celebrations marking the diamond jubilee will be a book chronicling the fascinating history of the Macau Grand Prix. The publication, titled 'The Macau Grand Prix at 60. A Diamond Celebration', is published by Dr. Philip Newsome, a recognised Macau Grand Prix historian and author of several authoritative books on the subject over the last two decades, including 'Teddy Yip – from Macau to the world and back' published in 2012. The Grand Prix is also literally taking off after MGPC agreed a promotional campaign with Air Macau which will see information distributed at check-in counters at the airline's destinations, which include Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Thailand. Air Macau will also broadcast the official TV commercial on their inflight programming in July, while discussions are underway with TurboJet to show promotional videos to passengers. Closer to the event itself, a display of elegant and prestigious classic cars will be held from November 9 to 17 at the exhibition hall of the Venetian with free entry, providing visitors and residents alike with a chance to see the racing and road cars of yesteryear. As in previous years, the MGPC will work closely with a number of local associations and civic organisations to ensure all local residents have the opportunity to enjoy the 60th Grand Prix celebrations. Preparations to ensure the Grand Prix is run to the highest international standards continued with the start of a rigorous training programme for race officials and staff on May 4, marked by an opening ceremony held at the Tourism Activities Centre.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Mr. Cheong U officiated at the ceremony, and awarded the 20 training course instructors certificates of appointment. Nine hundred volunteers have signed up to be part of the historic event this year. The May 4 opening ceremony marked the start of a full schedule of training programmes run by the Automobile General Association Macao-China (AAMC), and courses will continue until July. The programmes include both theory and practical training for the volunteers, covering every aspect of the event to ensure a thorough understanding and high level of competence. Internship programs will be held in August.
The individuals undergoing training include Race Control personnel, track, flag and pitlane marshals, grid staff, track clearance teams and scrutineers. Recruitment of volunteers began in late March and more than half of the enrolment applications were from students, a fact which demonstrates the event's attraction amongst the young which bodes well for the future development of the Grand Prix. Safety remains a major priority and since June, the Rescue Teams, made up of personnel from the Fire Department and Macao health services, have been conducting Rescue driver training. In October, the FIA Medical Delegate will travel to Macau to conduct a training assessment. The AAMC has been working hard both on the training programmes as well as the organisation of the Macau Touring Car Series, which incorporates AAMC N2000, AAMC Road Sport and AAMC Challenge races, the top drivers in each qualifying for an entry in this year's Hotel Fortuna MAC/HKG Interport Race, Macau Touring Car Cup or the Suncity Group Macau Road Sport Challenge. Four Rounds of the Macau Touring Car Series were held at the Guangdong circuit in May and June. The MCGP continues to work tirelessly to ensure the Star River‧Windsor Arch 60th Macau Grand Prix will be a sparkling jewel in the history of both the event and the SAR.
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