Macau will be using World Travel Market to ramp up its profile in the UK.
The Macau Government Tourist Office is to target tour operators and agents with an intensive promotional programme that will extend into 2009. This will include advertisements, fam trips and possibly an online training scheme.
International arrivals to Macau increased nearly 40% from January to August 2008. Team GB stayed on the island during the Beijing Olympic Games. The range of luxury hotels is increasing quickly with the opening of a number of casinos. The MGM Grand, Sofitel Ponte 16 and the Four Seasons launched this year, and more openings are scheduled for 2009.
Macau is already featured by some UK operators, but often only as a day trip from Hong Kong. The tourist board hopes to encourage new operators to feature the island and persuade those that already do to extend their visits to overnight stays.
The tourist office hopes to co-ordinate promotional activities with other destinations likely to work with the island, such as Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia and Thailand.