The 11^th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (referred to as the “Expo” or “MITE”) will take place at Halls A and B, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from 30 June – 2 July 2023. With Macao’s lifting of travel restrictions, MITE once again welcomes tourism and related industry delegates from near and far to navigate business opportunities in Macao under the theme “MITE connects the World” with six major highlights.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, MITE is organized by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association.

Committed to the Macao SAR Government’s development strategy of “1+4” adequate diversification, the Expo aims to deepen integration across “tourism +” and enrich the city’s dynamic as a world centre of tourism and leisure. MGTO and Macau Travel Agency Association co-held a press conference today (13 June) to elaborate the program of the 11^th MITE. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, MGTO Deputy Director Ricky Hoi, and President of Macau Travel Agency Association, Alex Lao, attended the press conference with other personages.

Joint pursuit of destination marketing fosters tourism recovery

Senna Fernandes remarked in her address, “With the great support and participation of different entities, the Expo has kept going on annually even through the last three years overshadowed by the pandemic. With the travel restrictions lifted, Macao once again welcomes travelers from worldwide in 2023. Themed as “MITE connects the World”, the Expo ushers in a brand new chapter. We welcome members of the travel trade from near and far to Macao for regional and international tourism cooperation, in turn diversifying visitor markets and rebuilding momentum for tourism development.”

Worldwide industry delegates explore business opportunities

The exhibition floor covers about 23,000 square meters and accommodates about 870 booths this year. Gathering members of the trade from different destinations in Macao, the Expo once again features the online “Cloud” series including “Cloud Invitation”, “Cloud B2B”, “Cloud Live Broadcast” and “Cloud Contract Signing”, to widen the channels for business networking and sales and facilitate new partnerships through online and offline exchange. To date, 489 exhibitors and about 500 buyers have registered for participation.

Six major highlights with new elements

MITE embraces opportunities brought by the national development and unleashes the unique strengths of the city, with the aim to become a powerhouse of tourism and other related sectors. New highlights will be presented once again this year, including the “1+4” Pavilion, The Cellar, Macao Creative Pavilion and Macao Educational Tour Development Forum. Six major highlights are featured as follows:

1. New “1 + 4” Pavilion supports rise of the four major industries

Enterprises from the four major industries including health and wellness, modern financial services, high technology, conferences and exhibitions, commerce and trade, and culture and sports will join as exhibitors at the new “1 + 4” Pavilion. Advanced technology and smart tourism products will be showcased. The Macao International Health Management and Wellness Tourism Forum” and the “Combining Capital, Intelligence and Commerce to Build a Cultural Tourism and Financial Ecosystem — Macao Cultural Tourism and Finance Salon” will be held to support the development of the four major industries in accord with the development strategy of “1+4” adequate diversification.

2. Gather momentum from industry participants worldwide to usher in a new tourism outlook

Gathering the trade from worldwide, the Expo will encompass international, Mainland and Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan-Region exhibition zones. About 500 hosted buyers from beyond Macao will join this effective networking platform. National tourism authorities and enterprises from Portugal, Japan, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia will set up customized booths. International airlines will partner with Hong Kong and Macao travel agencies to launch MITE special packages. International exhibitors can advertise their tourism products in the Mainland market through Cloud Live Broadcast.

3. International Cities of Gastronomy gather in Macao for a diverse presentation of culinary arts

The Expo will bring together renowned chefs from Cities of Gastronomy around the world in Macao, playing a bridge as a Creative City of Gastronomy. The chefs will manifest diverse culinary arts at the City of Gastronomy Showcase, which will foster gastronomic culture exchange and present wondrous experiences in “tourism + gastronomy”. In addition, Trip .com Group will officially unveil the winners of the Trip .com Group Gourmet 2023 Global Restaurant Awards on 30 June and invite travel and gastronomic connoisseurs to visit MITE. Between 30 June and 2 July, Trip .com App will debut the “MITE x Gourmet” themed page which displays a variety of Macao tourism products including set meals, hotel accommodation and travel notes.

18 local catering businesses will serve delicacies at the Gastronomy Pavilion this year, some of which are on the awardee list of iFood Award 2022 organized by a local catering association. As a new highlight this year, The Cellar will bring together wine and related products for sale by Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao exhibitors, which will promote Macao’s status as a Creative City of Gastronomy.

4. Deepen regional cooperation and build an ideal destination for multiple-day visits

Tourist cities from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will provide the latest information for multi-destination travel and together brand the Greater Bay Area as one destination. The Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin will organize a cultural tourism presentation seminar and arrange familiarization visits for international buyers to inspect Hengqin’s tourism resources and cultural tourism products in the Cooperation Zone, to brand Macao and Hengqin as one destination. Hengqin Tourism Association, Association of Macao Tourist Agents, Travel Industry Council of Macau and Macau Travel Agency Association will sign a tourism cooperation agreement to promote sharing of cultural and tourism resources in the region and develop multi-destination tourism products together.

5. Organize the educational tour forum to boost synergy of “tourism + education”

To foster educational tourism development in Macao, the “Macao Educational Tour Development Forum” will be held at MITE this year. Mainland experts are invited to elaborate on the concept of educational tour. Municipal governments will share their experience in developing their cities as an educational travel destination. The Forum will raise the awareness of the local trade and build an exchange platform for the Mainland and local enterprises. Perspectives will be exchanged on how to transform resources into educational products for meaningful learning experiences.  

6. Deepen integration of “tourism + culture and creativity” through IP authorization

The Expo and the Cultural Affairs Bureau will jointly present the Macao Creative Pavilion to promote original products that are intellectual property in Macao, to further local businesses’ development and cooperation with their counterparts from different regions. Cultural museums from the Mainland, including Suzhou Museum, Sanxingdui Museum, Jinsha Site Museum and Nanjing Museum Administration, will mark their first appearance in MITE, to display IP and educational products from their collections. Their exhibitions will promote exchange and integrated development of the cultural and tourism industries in Macao and the Mainland, supporting Chinese cultural museums to promote their products in the international market.

During the Expo, there will be over 50 tourism presentation sessions, forums and activities, including tourism presentations and activities held by Mainland provinces and municipalities, for participants to learn more about industry trends and tourism resources of different destinations.

Free admission for the public

The Expo continues to offer the latest tourism information and products from Macao and around the world for residents and visitors, including the MITE-limited special offers presented by various exhibitors. Lucky draws will also be held again this year. The 11^th MITE will open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 30 June, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 1 July and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 2 July. Admission tickets will be distributed for free at the entrances of Hall A of Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao. During the Expo, free shuttle bus service along three routes will be provided between the event venue and four local points. Free parking will be available to residents at Hall C.

For the fascinating program and latest information, please visit MITE’s official website: www.mitexpo.mo, or follow MITE on Facebook and WeChat.