Inside Asian Gaming

IAG OCT 2022年10月 亞博匯 54 I n early September, the Macao SAR Government began allowing citizens from 41 countries to enter Macau, ending the two-and-a-half-year- long international “lockdown” (although foreigners still have to undergo seven days of quarantine upon entry). Despite this positive step forward, the new measure has provided little help to the Macau tourism and gaming industries given ongoing travel restrictions in Macau’s main feeder market of mainland China and the fact that international visitors remain reluctant to undergo seven days of quarantine. Commenting on the current status of the Macau tourism industry, a former tour guide, who ditched his five-year career and is now working as a food delivery driver, told Inside Asian Gaming that the policies in place now are conflicting. “If the Macau government allows foreign tourists to enter quarantine-free, it will be in apparent conflict with the mainland epidemic prevention policies,” he said. “The major source market of Macau is still the mainland. If foreign visitors can enter quarantine-free, the mainland will close its border to Macau, making Macau just like Hong Kong.” The borders between Hong Kong and the mainland are still effectively closed. Mainland China is an enormous tourism source market – providing 71% of Macau’s 39.4 million visitors in 2019. But can Macau be satisfied with solely mainland visitors? The former tour guide thinks Macau is in an impuissant position, with the SAR needing to perfectly align with mainland policies if it is to rely onmainland tourists. But juggling an enormous population with strict zero-COVID policies means lockdowns and restrictions across the mainland are certain to keep happening, which in turn severely impacts the Macau tourism industry. “Mainland tourists are vital, but relying only on the mainland market will make Macau vulnerable,” the former tour guide said. IN FOCUS