Macau a Sure Bet to Become the Next Vegas of ChinaA Reuters report cites the Portuguese colony of Macau as the "new" Las Vegas. A special administrative region at the mouth of the Pearl River, just an hour by ferry from Hong Kong, Macau soon could surpass the American gambling oasis as the model for future entertainment destinations. Many believe it already has.
From 9.1 million visitors in 2000, arrivals to Macau has grown to 18.7 million visitors in 2005, 21.98 million visitors in 2006 and is expected to receive between 24 and 25 million visitors in 2007, with over 50% of the arrivals coming from mainland China. This recent growth has been driven by gambling and related tourism.
Tourists from Hong Kong remain numerous, representing about 30% of arrivals. Since the 1999 return to Chinese rule, Triad underworld violence, a dark spot on the economy, has virtually disappeared, to the benefit of the tourism sector. Macau also received the Future Award 2007, for being regarded the most promising future tourism destination in Asia, voted by 26,000 German travel trade members of GoAsia; an association that includes tour operators, airline companies, among many others. Macau is currently rated as one of the world's top tourism destinations by the World Tourism Organisation.
"Before the handover of Macau from Portugal back to China (in 1999), Macau was already getting 5 million visitors a year," says Michael McCarty, sales director for the trade-show group of Venetian Macau, part of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. "Being a part of mainland China, but a little bit separate, is a powerful combination."
Indeed. Flashy new hotels with brands such as MGM, Galaxy, Melco PBL and Wynn have sprouted up. The warm climate has drawn top-tier musical acts such as the Black Eyed Peas and Beyonce, and sports powerhouses such as the NBA's Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers and the U.K. football club Manchester United. Tennis giants Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are expected soon.
That's all aside from the gambling. And the Chinese love to gamble.
"Unlike Las Vegas, which has competition from Atlantic City, N.J., and Biloxi, Miss., Macau is the only city in all of China in which gambling is legal," McCarty says. "There isn't a one-stop entertainment destination city in China like Las Vegas in America. That's what we're trying to do here."
The Reuters report also refers to a history that Vegas simply cannot duplicate (as much as it may try).
Before one races into the future in Macau, it's worth peering back in time -- into 450 years of Portuguese colonial rule. The mere HK$175 ($22.50) it costs for the boat ride from the Ferry Terminal in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan neighborhood to Macau is well worth it. The 10.5-square-mile city of Macau is at once a collection of the most luxuriant modern casinos on the planet and an outpost of Mediterranean boutique hotels called pousadas.
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Herman Harrison, Gambling911.com
Originally published November 30, 2007 10:03 pm EST
