It would be easy, in the shadow of the pandemic, to justify a dragging out of the paralysis of Macau in 2023. To accomplish the agenda of the next ten years, the turnaround is great. And the generalized discourse that the first year would only be a year of readjustment to the new reality would, in a way, take the pressure off the results in the short term.
Even because, just like at the beginning of the pandemic, there are still many uncertainties hanging over the new chapter of reopening. It is with encouragement that we do not witness such immobility in the face of challenges, and we have been speeding up the resolution of the problems posed to the MSAR.
Macau’s first test, the Chinese New Year, passed with flying colors. The number of tourists was greater than expected, proving the ability of the authorities to boost the local economy. With the return of the tourists, small and medium-sized enterprises gained new impetus, and the gaming industry recorded the best results since the beginning of the pandemic. Ho Iat Seng’s trip to Portugal is also a sign of a change in the profile of the bilateral relationship.
On the one hand, the delegation joining the Chief Executive plans to start right away converting Macau’s image, moving away from the gambling brand.
On the other, it hopes to attract Lusophone investment. During the pandemic, Macau’s regional integration accelerated, and it is increasingly becoming an investment gateway to the Greater Bay Area. In short, the Sino-Lusophone bridge is gaining a new scale. In the concessionaires, contracts with overseas companies are multiplying, aiming at the diversification of markets beyond China. Here, the MICE industry is expected to reaffirm the city’s international status.
Competitiveness must exist, but it is important to preserve common agendas. It is imperative to have a message to the outside world that reinforces Macau’s attractiveness.
And everyone has different strengths in this regard, so the win-win concept applies. For such, there must be greater cooperation between the parties, and it is not unreasonable to exclude the possibility of a public-private think tank to guarantee, in the next ten years, the diversification that was not achieved in the last twenty. New winds are blowing, lifting the pandemic fog, and Macau is preparing for new flights.
The path is clear, but rocky. The infrastructure is still deficient, namely the airport, which is dependent on third parties.
At the domestic level, there is also the problem of crowds, which hinders quality tourism and the life of the residents. Then, there is a lack of human resources, as is known, in all axes of recovery. And common sense says that local talent will not be enough to fill the gaps exposed by the pandemic. It is expected that the Government will have this awareness and respond to the needs denounced by the tourism industry.
*Executive Director of PLATAFORMA
