“The Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin has a historic mission,” Dr.. Fanny Vong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and president of IFTM, told on her exclusive interview with China Tourism News. Elaborating her comment, Dr.. Vong added that the Cooperation Zone “bears the historic responsibility to realise Hengqin-Macao integration.” And she further stated that, “Macao will draw support from the construction of the Cooperation Zone to achieve diversified development in the tourism industry.”
On 5 September 2021, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People’s Republic of China publicised the General Plan for Building a Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. The General Plan pinpointed several strategies for the development of Hengqin, namely transforming Hengqin into a high-quality international leisure and tourism island, supporting Macao’s position as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and developing major leisure, tourism, MICE, and sports tourism industries, as well as rehabilitation and Big Health practices.
“As a city highly reliant on tourism, Macao has a relatively uniform economy, highlighted by the lack of multifaceted products and source market,” Dr. Vong pointed out. “The directive of the Central People’s Government to develop the Cooperation Zone will create advantages to Macao’s development.” Based on this, Dr. Vong emphasised that Macao should leverage Zhuhai’s advantages in resourcefulness to achieve diversified development of the tourism industry.
Currently, with resumption of normal travel, group tours, and electronic applications for travel endorsement to Macao, Macao and Zhuhai can consider operating exquisite, packaged island tours to expand the supply of cultural and tourism products and to create new pivot points for economic boosts. Pointing out that the industry and the academic circle should work together with the government on the matter, Dr. Vong noted: “On a larger scale, if Macao, Zhuhai and Hengqin consolidate, extract and utilise existing cultural and tourism resources, I believe it will become a new focal point for the revivals of the cultural and tourism industry.” As such, the IFTM president expressed her hopes that the three places can jointly form a culture and tourism integrated development committee – also involving industry practitioners and academics – and conduct regular exchanges, coordinate tourist movements, introduce policies expediting integrated development of culture and tourism, and promote the implementation of such policies, to help the industry revive and thrive.
In August 2022, three-place cooperation was debuted with the 3rd Zhuhai Vocational Skills Competition and 2022 Cooperation Zone Cup Zhuhai Macao Hengqin Vocational Skills Competition. Against this background, Dr. Vong suggested the three places expand in-depth cooperation in areas such as tourism, sports and MICE to create greater synergies. “For example, the three places can jointly hold more cultural and tourism activities, through which to clarify the division of labour and form a cooperation mechanism. This mode of cooperation can be promoted when it can be replicated.” By Co-organising cultural and tourism events, it creates an atmosphere of close togetherness and also helps to promote connectivity among the three parties, Dr. Vong said.
