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86


Tourism


world-leading gaming industry. But the city’s image abroad, to the extent that it has one, relies on its reputation as Asia’s Las Vegas, experts say. The Macau Government Tourist Of-


M


 ce talks about steering visitors from casinos and hotels, instead introducing them to areas such as the historic cen- tre of the city, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tourist of ce wants visitors to experience “the real Macau”. “Of course, casinos are part of the


real Macau,” SJM Holdings chief ex- ecutive Ambrose So Shu Fai says. He notes casino gaming here dates back at least to its legalisation in 1847 and that gambling is a mainstay of the economy, providing jobs for tens of thousands of residents. Moreover, casinos help the city


prosper as a destination for both invest- ment and tourism. “Thanks to the tax revenue contributed by the casino indus- try, Macau has been able to maintain its free port status and low taxes while in- vesting in the infrastructure needed for modernisation and economic growth, as


acau’s tourism authorities try to play up the city’s unique heritage and play down its


well as historic preservation and cultural development,” Mr So says. For its part, the tourist of ce said in


a written statement: “What we mean by ‘the real Macau’ is a full understanding (or picture) of Macau, not just one seg- ment but all the different facets of the destination, including heritage, culture, cuisine, festivals, hotels and resorts, ca- sinos, performances, among others.”


Box-offi ce fl op “I think it’s dif cult, unrealistic and maybe even undesirable in terms of tourism revenue for Macau to attempt to be seen as [something] other than Asia’s Las Vegas,” says branding consultancy FutureBrand’s chief growth of cer for the Asia-Paci c region, Tim Riches. “When one reviews the current


tourism marketing website, for example, there is a heavy emphasis on historic imagery which is at odds, or at least out of balance, with the entertainment side. That imagery is also somewhat similar to the kind of hybrid local post-colonial places around the region like Penang and Malacca in Malaysia.” Differentiating Macau from its


competition is essential, warns Richard Mintz,


the managing director of The


Harbour Group, a public relations  rm in Washington. He says it is particularly important with “just about every major country and major city” making an ef- fort at destination branding. Gaming sets Macau apart from oth-


er destinations, though Mr Mintz sees another reason for the persistence of the Asia’s Las Vegas label. “This is more than anything due to


the lack of an alternative narrative, i.e. what are Macau’s equities beyond gam- ing? Just like in the movies, the story and script are everything. You can spend tens of millions on stars and special ef- fects but if the story doesn’t grab you, the movie  ops. So too, is it with mar- keting, especially destination branding.” Asia’s Las Vegas is what the world


sees in Macau, says Institute for Tour- ism Studies senior lecturer Cindia Lam Ching Chi. There is no doubt in her mind that the city’s gambling has drawn most of the attention globally. News of gam- ing revenues surpassing that of the Las Vegas Strip, Macau joining the 20 rich- est economies in the world, and the gov- ernment money-sharing programmes make headlines. “As these were being reported internationally, news on our en- tertainment facilities, MICE [meetings,


JULY 2011


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