TravTalk India Online Magazine
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office, highlights significance of Indian outbound travel market and discusses Macao’s offerings, including M!CE facilities and luxury experiences. She emphasises on Macao’s potential for M!CE and invites luxury travellers to experience its hotels and unique offerings.
Janice Alyosius
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macao Government Tourism Office, expressed her delight in being back at the PATA Travel Mart in India. “My first PATA Travel Mart was in 1993 in New Delhi. And so, I am glad to be back. And I am very happy to see a lot of developments ever since. We are happy to see a lot of buyers and sellers still coming back to the travel market,”
Fernandes said.
Talking about the PATA Travel Mart, Fernandes said, “This mart serves as an invaluable B2B platform where buyers and sellers can connect and engage with each other. Many of these individuals we do not get the chance to meet in our day-to-day basis. Therefore, we are trying make use of this particular platform in making new friends, understanding where travel business is getting and what are the new trends, and also trying to really see how we can put together buyers and sellers in order that they can really do business together.”
One of the key aspects, Fernandes highlighted, was the significance of the Indian outbound travel market. “India has always been a very good outbound travel market for many countries. And we used to receive quite a few Indian travellers. COVID has really hampered our industry,” she said.
She further added, “It is good to be back in India because Indian travellers are coming back (to Macao) in big numbers. So, we also want to come back and let Indian friends and travellers understand more about what Macao has to offer nowadays. It has been three years, there has been a lot of new things, new developments, new hotels and new attractions in Macao. So, we are here to say welcome back to Macao.”
From a business perspective, Fernandes discussed the potential of the Indian market for M!CE. “When we look at the Indian market, we are looking at many different perspectives, M!CE is a very important component, we understand that many Indian companies are looking at going overseas for their M!CE events, and we do have very good facilities for M!CE not only for conventions and exhibitions but incentive as well. So, we are here to promote this segment,” she
said. Fernandes also extended an invitation to luxury travellers from India emphasizing on the excellence of Macao’s hotels and their unique experiences.
Highlighting the connectivity issue, she said, “While we currently do not offer direct flights to India, accessing Macao is convenient via flights to Hong Kong. We have introduced a new service connecting Macao to Hong Kong International Airport. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, there is no need for customs clearance. You can easily purchase a bus ticket that includes luggage handling, and before you know it, you will find yourself in Macao. The only customs and immigration clearance required for your journey will be in Macao.”
