MACAU BUSINESS
Enhancing overseas allure GEG Vice Chairman and Executive Director, Francis Lui Yiu Tung, son of the senior Lui, advocates for a focus on quality and the role of entertainment and sports events. “We should concentrate on attracting more international tourists to Macau, especially leisure and family tourists,” he emphasises, adding that this entails attracting more high- quality and valued visitors. The government has set a goal of luring around two million
overseas visitors to the SAR. Considering the global and regional competition, where main hubs compete for international tourists, how can we take the city to the next level in this respect? When asked about how to achieve this, Francis Lui highlights quality, mobility, and multilingual talent as key factors. “I’m confident Macau can compete to attract international visitors, but not because it’s cheaper,” he asserts, noting that, in that respect, Macau is more expensive than many other destinations. “So, this is where we have to have the scale, the service, and the world-class events to be here and attract foreign visitors.” Moreover, “we need to have the flights coming in, transportation improving, and we need to have multiple language talents.” In a nutshell, “with all that coming together, we will be competing because we have better quality,” added Francis Lui, who is also the managing director of Galaxy Casino SA, the GEG subsidiary holder of the Macau gaming concession.
Revitalisation commitments Under the new ten-year gaming concessions that have been in effect since January 1, 2023, Galaxy pledged MOP28.4 billion in investments, with MOP27.5 billion allocated to non-gaming projects. These encompass new facilities such as a 61,000-square-metre “first-and-only high-tech amusement park,” a 4,000-seat music and performing arts theatre, and an art museum, among other initiatives, as announced a year ago. The gaming concessionaires are also contributing to the
revitalisation of old neighbourhoods to support community tourism. GEG was assigned the task of revitalising the Lai Chi Vun shipyards in Coloane. “We have been working closely with the Macau government and are in constant communication regarding the implementation of the development concept for the first phase of the project and related optimisation projects,” said Francis Lui, revealing that “it is expected to be completed in phases starting from the third quarter of 2024.” The renovation plan will be executed in two phases, with the first phase focusing on the construction of an exhibition hall that will celebrate the history of the shipbuilding industry in the area, including several family-oriented facilities. Lui Che Woo stresses that GEG “will continue to support the Macau SAR government in developing community tourism so that different tourists can experience Macau’s history and culture and help enrich the mix of Macau’s tourist source markets.”
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