[MGTO] MGTO hosts Macao Tourism + MICE Product Updates Seminar & Travel Mart in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates

Together with a delegation of Macao’s travel trade, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, between 25 – 27 February and hosted the “Macao Tourism + MICE Product Updates Seminar & Travel Mart”. The seminars highlighted Macao’s appeal as an international destination with vibrant “tourism +” experiences to offer for Middel East visitors, as part of the international marketing endeavors. In May, the Office will join Arabian Travel Market to boost high-end and business visitor arrivals through the largest travel fair in the Middle East.

Promote “tourism +” to Middle East travel trade

MGTO Deputy Director Cheng Wai Tong, together with the delegates of Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute, representatives of the integrated resort enterprises and tourism businesses, participated in this destination promotion towards the Middle East market, to enhance exchange and collaboration between Macao’s and Middle East’s tourism operators. Over 200 industry delegates from Macao and the Middle East joined the Travel Mart to discuss tourism product development, destination marketing, MICE and business environment for cooperation opportunities, laying a solid foundation for development of the Middle East market.

Publish Macao travel guidebook for Muslim travelers to promote Halal-friendly facilities

Macao is an international destination that nurtures a cultural symphony of the East and West and is committed to offering great quality service for visitors from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds all along. In partnership with a professional consultant company in Singapore for Halal travel, the Office specially launched the “Macao For Muslim Travelers” Halal Travel Guide during this promotional event. Offering an introduction to the dining culture, recommended itineraries and things to note during trips to Macao, the English and Arabic versions of the guidebook were distributed to industry delegates at the event. The guidebook will later be translated into Chinese, Malaysian and Indonesian languages for distribution in other upcoming overseas promotional events. It will showcase Macao’s Halal-friendly facilities in continuous progress for expansion of different visitor markets.

Extend marketing impact in Middle East

In recent years, MGTO has been gazing at the potential of the Middle East market and actively joined travel fairs and promotional events there. In 2024, the Office engaged in three industry promotional events in the Middle East, including Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East’s largest travel fair, and two networking meetings with the high-end leisure and business travel trade. Through the participation, the Office successfully promoted Macao’s tourism resources among the local travel trade and public and yielded keen feedback. In May 2025, MGTO will mark its presence at the Arabian Travel Market again to attract high-end and business visitors.

Widen promotion in Arabic language on social media

Besides offline promotional events, MGTO keeps spotlighting the destination on social media in the Middle East market. Travel information tailored for Middle East visitors are regularly released. Promotions in Arabic language are continuously rolled out. KOLs are invited from the Middle East to Macao for a familiarization visit to the city’s rising popular attractions and rich breadth of distinctive resources and events, to attract Middle East visitors. In the future, MGTO will continue to place stronger promotions on social media to raise Macao’s profile in the Middle East.

Following the promotional work unfolded last year, the Updates Seminars were held in Dubai and Riyadh as MGTO’s major marketing initiatives with greater dedication in the Middle East, to familiarize Middle East travel industry operators and visitors with Macao’s unique glamour for market diversification. In the future, MGTO will continue to organize international tourism promotions and expand the range of international visitor markets, brightening Macao’s golden calling card as an international metropolis.