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Mamuni Das

Macau, June 14 Macau, a special administered region of China with 26-odd casinos, is out to woo Indian tourists by hosting events such as the International Indian Film Academy awards and offering discounts for bulk bookings, after being hit by decline in tourists from mainland China.

The decline is primarily due to curbs imposed on travels from Mainland China by the Chinese Government in June 2008 in an attempt to reduce the sums gambled by Chinese residents.

Macau, the only part of China where casino operations are legal, recorded casino gambling revenues of $1 billion in April 2009, down 9 per cent from April 2008 and down 13 per cent from March 2009.

China accounted for 50 per cent of 30 million visitors (2008). But in the first four quarters of 2009, visitor arrivals from Mainland China to Macau have dipped by 14 per cent against the corresponding period in 2008.

Meanwhile, arrivals from India, which accounted for below 0.5 per cent of tourists to Macau, have seen a 25-30 per cent growth during the first four months of 2009.

According to the Macau Government statistics, Macau witnessed about 28 per cent growth in tourists from India in April 2009 against last year’s figures. Tourist arrivals from India during January-April 2009 were at 23,607, up 19 per cent from the corresponding period of 2008.

Mr K.K Modi, Chairman, Modi Enterprises and Head of FICCI’s India-China Joint Business Council, shared that there has been an increase in offerings from Macau’s hotels and casinos, particularly after visits from Mainland China dipped.

“Hosting business conferences in Macau now proves cheaper than doing the same in desired Indian destinations,” Mr Modi said, adding that Modi Enterprises had hosted a meet of around 400 people in April. The company is planning to host another event in July.

Eyeing the growth, Viva Macau airlines, a low-cost airline that operates direct flights between Macau and other destinations such as Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Sydney, Tokyo and Vietnam, is trying to start direct flights between Mumbai and Macau.

“We are working towards operationalising direct flights to and from Indian destinations. We hope to start direct flights in the later half of the year, in most likelihood between Macau and Mumbai,” said Mr Reginald Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer, Viva Macau Ltd, on the sidelines of FICCI-IIFA global business forum.

Mr Macdonald pointed out that the number of Indian visitors could be much higher as a large chunk of Indian tourists come to Macau from Indonesia or other Southeast Asian destinations, to which Macau is directly connected by air.

“We hope to increase tourism between India and Macau after establishing direct air connectivity between the two,” he said.

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