Feature: Macao sees tourism recovery during National Day holiday

MACAO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) saw a recovery in the tourism market during the National Day holiday thanks to its sound epidemic-containment situation and promotional festive events.

To attract mainland tourists during the week-long holiday that concluded on Friday, Macao rolled out several promotional events, including a fireworks show, new interactive devices at the Macao Grand Prix Museum, and community tours.

Yang Yang, a five-year-old boy from Shanghai, traveled to Macao with his parents and grandparents during the holiday. Standing on the beachside near the iconic Macao Science Center, the family of three generations enjoyed the grand fireworks show above the sea together with crowds lining up the long coastline.

"We came to Macao this holiday particularly for leisure and shopping," the boy's father said. "The trip is well worth it."

According to statistics from the Macao Government Tourism Office, over 180,000 visitors, mostly from the mainland, entered Macao during the holiday. On Oct. 1, the first day of the holiday, Macao recorded a total of 37,000 visitor arrivals, the second highest daily record so far this year.

During the holiday, famous tourist spots such as the Ruins of Saint Paul's and the Largo do Senado once again saw crowds of tourists busy taking photographs and buying local specialty snacks. Some restaurants were fully booked.

A salesperson at a major shopping center on Taipa Island told Xinhua that they received about a third more customers on Oct. 1. "We hope this can continue throughout the holiday."

The Tourism Office has been promoting the city as a safe tourist destination on social media in the mainland. It has also worked with businesses to offer discounts for hotels and air tickets.

During the first three days of the holiday, the hotel occupancy rate in Macao reached 80.6 percent on average, showed data released by the office.

Staff at a hotel in the NAPE area of the Macao Peninsula said their rooms had been nearly booked out during the holiday. "You need to make reservations in order to enjoy our buffet dining services."

Many experts and scholars in Macao said the recovery boosted people's confidence in the prospects of Macao's tourism economy and the economy as a whole.

Li Xi, executive associate dean of the Faculty of International Tourism and Management of the City University of Macao, said the recovery in the tourism market had been long expected by the industry and local residents.

"The most important thing is to maintain the safe environment and continue to build Macao into a safe tourist destination," he said.

Lao Keng Chong, director-general of the Macao Innovation Development Research Association, said support at the national level makes it hopeful for the local tourism industry to achieve a breakthrough.

"With unique cultural charms as a bridge linking Chinese and Western cultures, Macao can attract tourists with its historical and cultural heritages in order to speed up economic recovery," Lao added.