Macau bets big on India, eyes growth in tourist arrivals

Macau is expecting over 4.8 per cent growth in tourist arrivals from India this year, betting big on its unique blend of museums, cuisines, shopping malls and casinos to lure a record number of Indians to the 'Las Vegas of the East'.
"In 2014, the visitor arrivals from India to Macau were 1,67,000. Macau has been witnessing a 4.8 per cent growth year-on-year. We expect it to do much better this year," Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) Head of India Representative Arzan Khambatta told PTI here.
"This is because Macau is a perfect destination for leisure as well as Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions (MICE) activities," Khambatta said.

Macau, recently selected by Lonely Planet, a travel guide book, as one of the top 10 best travel regions of 2015, has all the ingredients that anybody would want for a good holiday, he added.
One of the biggest advantages is that there is no hassles of getting a visa, as it's a 'visa on arrival' destination.
As of now, one can go to Macau from Hong Kong in a comfortable ferry, which takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

"In the future we will have a bridge connecting Hong Kong to Macau by road and hopefully some direct air connectivity will start that will open the gateway to this exciting destination," Khambatta said.

Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, is focusing on both youth and families, along with senior citizens and women travellers.
"Segments like group of friends, honeymooners, group of families are our focused audience. We are placing Macau as a premium and luxury destination mainly from the metro cities," Khambatta said.
Macau offers various family oriented activities that an Indian traveller can indulge in like the famous show of 'The House of Dancing Water', the walking tours around Senado Square, the skyline of Macau from the 60th floor of the Macau Tower, the calm and serene Coloane island and the buzzing old Portuguese Taipa island, bungee jumping for the adventure seeker or skywalk for the thrill seeker.

The House of Dancing Water, a unique creation by Franco Dragone for City of Dreams, is a treat to the eyes housed in a purpose-built theatre designed with many breakthroughs including a stage pool that holds 3.7 million gallons of water, equivalent to 5 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Macau also has a lot to offer for the foodie in you with its different cuisines like the Portuguese, the Chinese as well as the unique local Macanese cuisine at restaurants or you can go safe with the Indian cuisine.