The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) invited a group of travel agents from Tokyo and Osaka for a familiarization visit this week (29 October to 1 November) to provide an update about Macao’s “tourism +” offerings and conduct business contacts with local travel trade, as part of efforts to continue attracting visitors from different market segments in Japan.

Organized by MGTO through the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), the group included nearly 30 representatives from Japanese travel agencies as well as Air Macau’s representatives in the country. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong, and other guests welcomed the group in a lunch featuring Macanese food held on Thursday (30 October) at Taipa Houses.

Macao-Japan travel trade mart to boost partnerships

With Macao and Japan currently linked by daily direct flights to Tokyo and Osaka, MGTO invited once again this year a familiarization group of travel agents from the two cities, following a similar initiative last year. High on the agenda of the visit was a Macao-Japan (Tokyo and Osaka) Travel Mart conducted on Friday morning (31 October) at the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau.

The business exchange session brought the Japanese delegation together with representatives from over 40 Macao travel agencies, hotels and integrated resort enterprises, MICE event venues, air and sea transportation companies, among others. The two sides explored partnership opportunities to cater to Japanese travelers of different profiles.

Destination experience to inspire new Macao tourism products

During their stay in Macao, the group had the opportunity to experience firsthand the traditional and new attractions of the destination to help inspire the design of new Macao tourism products tailored for different segment of Japanese visitors, including female travelers and school excursion groups.

The itinerary included walking tours around the Historic Centre of Macao, Taipa and Coloane villages to feel the pulse of the community areas, inspection to hotels and integrated resorts, enjoying entertainment offerings like residency shows and an open-top bus night tour, along with experiencing the diverse gastronomic offerings. The group also learned about the tourism developments aimed at transforming NAPE and ZAPE areas and joined a workshop to create Macao-themed souvenirs.

Continue to target Japanese visitors of different profiles

To tap into the potential of Japan, one of Macao’s top ten visitor source markets, MGTO continues to conduct several initiatives. In September, MGTO led a delegation of Macao’s travel trade to participate in the Tourism Expo Japan 2025, where it launched the travel guide “Journey to Experience Macao: Family Fun in Macao,” tailor made for the Japanese market. In April a mega tourism promotion was staged in Tokyo infused with Anime to connect with younger generations of Japanese travelers, among other endeavors targeting Japan, to continue attracting more visitors for innovative travel experiences in Macao and expand the international market.