Inside Asian Gaming

December 2010 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 23 I t’s no secret that LVS Chairman Sheldon Adelson has been actively courting Indian visitors for his Macau properties and for Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, even though anecdotally it seems in Macau not many Indians spend time at the gaming tables or slot machines. A previous high profile event by the Indian film industry may have played a role in bringing Indian visitors to Macau in general and The Venetian Macao in particular. The International Indian Film Awards were held at The Venetian in June 2009, and received widespread media coverage within India and across the Indian diaspora. In February 2009, Macau received only 1,507 package tourists from India. In February 2010, there were 5,194—a 244% increase year on year. Without access to detailed market research, it’s not possible to confirm that this rise was due directly to the publicity surrounding the film awards. In the past, sudden rises in visitor numbers fromnon-coremarkets (i.e. outside mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) have been linked to other factors such as the launch of new direct air services. There are no direct air services yet between India and Macau, but there is some anecdotal evidence that the film awards event stimulated interest from Indian tourists. An Indian visitor interviewed recently by a Macau newspaper specifically cited the visit of Bollywood stars to The Venetian as his own reason for coming to Macau. The opening of a Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) in India may have also helped push up the numbers. The proposed four-week Bollywood film shoot, ‘Double Dhamaal’ (Double Fun) is a sequel to ‘Dhamaal,’ a comedy feature released three years ago. The plot centres on four “lazy slackers who just don’t want to work”according to producer Ashok Thakeria. Fresh Boost For LVS? News that a Bollywood film producer is negotiating to shoot part of a US$4 million comedy film at The Venetian Macao looks like a heaven-sent marketing opportunity for Las Vegas Sands Corp Indian actor Abhishek Bachchan and his actress wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arrive at the Venetian Macao to attend the 10th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Macau in June, 2009.

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