Melco Resorts & Entertainment, developer and operator of City of Dreams Mediterranean, on Tuesday evening hosted an event to promote Macao’s status as a travel, leisure, and business destination.
The event, the second in a series of ‘Glow Your Way to Macao’ gatherings hosted by Melco, was attended by officials from Cyprus, the Macao Special Administrative Region government (SAR), travel agents, and business associations from across Europe, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Macao.
In the context of the event, the Cyprus Mail had the opportunity to interview Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco, as well as Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office.
In terms of diversifying the City of Dreams Mediterranean’s client base, Ho explained that “on the non-gaming front, we have done a lot to expand the programme of the resort”.
He referenced a number of events that kicked off during the summer, as well as activities aimed at families.
“I think City of Dreams Mediterranean at its first anniversary continues to maximise on the resort and hopefully we can help the Cypriot government turn the tourism market into a year-round affair, and become less affected by seasonality,” he added.
Regarding the decision to promote Macao in Cyprus, the Melco CEO said that “Melco always thinks of itself as being in a public-private partnership with the Macao government”.
“Knowing the initiatives of the Macao government, and that of the Chinese central government, is very important,” Ho mentioned.
He pointed out that apart from Cyprus, Melco has participated in a lot of initiatives with the Macao government around the world, especially in Asia.
“Considering we have a presence here, and we built this facility in Cyprus, it can act as a gateway for more visitors to visit Macao,” Ho said.
“So we are honoured that Macao Government Tourism Office brought an entire delegation to the resort here in Cyprus,” he added.
On her part, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, noted that “Cyprus is a different market to Macao and attracts a different clientele”.
“So, since we want to attract more varied types of visitors, it’s important to understand them so that we can offer them something that appeals to them,” she explained.
“On the other hand, there can also be exchanges between Macao and Cyprus. Cyprus would probably be interested in bringing Asian tourists to the country,” she stated.
“Having the City of Dreams Mediteranean here can be a bridge that can help in that regard. Tourism always works in both directions. Both sides can help each other grow,” she added.
Moreover, she mentioned that Macao “would be happy to have Cyprus tourist stakeholders to exhibit in our own travel fair, which takes place every April”.
“They can come to Macao and meet some of the buyers from Asia as well,” Fernandes mentioned.
In addition, Fernandes described the visit to Cyprus as an “eye-opener”.
“We can go back and have a good think about what to do and how to best utilise our partners in attracting more visitors,” the Macao official stated.
The roadshow event introduced attendees to Macao’s diverse historical and cultural offerings and attractions, as well as Melco’s hotel, entertainment, dining, and exhibition facilities.
In a statement, the company noted that “as an EU member state and a popular Mediterranean destination with a robust tourism industry, Cyprus serves as a strategic platform to highlight Macao’s appeal as a leading leisure and business destination”.
It added that Melco has set up overseas sales offices in Singapore, HK and Manila, and is in the process of setting up a Cyprus sales office to promote Macau.
During the official opening ceremony, Melco CEO Lawrence Ho said that “as a prominent integrated resort operator deeply rooted in Macao, we are thrilled to host our second ‘Glow Your Way to Macao’ event at City of Dreams Mediterranean”.
“Being a study of contrasts — from its multicultural heritage to its culinary identity, Macao is a unique destination that truly never sleeps. With its reopening to the world following the global events of the past few years, we are thrilled to support the Macao government’s efforts to promote the city’s gastronomy, sporting events, culture, heritage and the creative arts as it continues to diversify and bloom,” he added.
“We are confident that Macao will grow to become an even more cherished and popular destination for travellers from Cyprus, the broader European and GCC market, as an exciting and remarkable city for visitors to immerse themselves in electrifying excitement,” the Melco CEO concluded.
Andreas Gregoriou, head of the Republic of Cyprus’ presidency, said that “Cyprus, with its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, offers unparalleled access to markets in the wider Mediterranean, the Middle East, and beyond”.
“It offers an ideal platform for Macao to explore new markets and expand into Europe and the GCC. Our strategic location and excellent connectivity make us a natural hub to engage with both the European Union and the broader region,” he added.
Gregoriou also said that “we are confident that we can create a mutually beneficial relationship, one that could grow in the future through cross-promotion”.
During her own address to attendees, Fernandes said that “Macao and Cyprus have much in common and great room for cooperation in tourism and beyond”.
“Helped by Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s City of Dreams Mediterranean and its Macao Sales Office in Cyprus, I believe that we can spark a long-lasting friendship and cooperation between our two destinations,” she added.
“We look forward to joining hands with Macao’s integrated resort enterprises to create more cooperation and jointly expand the international visitor source markets,” Fernandes concluded.
