Macau is the Las Vegas of the East, and is the only place high rollers in the region head for their casino breaks.
But, even Sin City of the Orient is immune from the fallout of COVID-19, with its casinos taking a major hit.
In a bid to remain as affluent as it was once during the reign of the casinos, Macau is now looking into family-friendly tourism to pump up its numbers.
Macau is looking to become family friendly after COVID ravishes player numbers
Casinos Still Suffering From COVID
Casinos all around the world have been ravished by COVID-19, but many are starting to reopen and resume business as normal, with a few exceptions.
However, Macau is still particularly hard to get to given the travel restrictions various countries have put in place, meaning even though casinos can open, there aren’t many visitors.
In fact, casinos in Macau account for more than 70% of the tax revenue for the SAR, meaning local government is taking a huge hit from COVID.
Elsewhere in the world, casinos are beginning to reopen, despite a few getting pushed back a month or so.
But, as second waves of COVID continue to emerge, more and more casinos are looking like they could be forced to shut up shop once more.
What Can Macau Do?
Macau’s position in the world means traveling there is tricky, but it’s not impossible.
At the moment, Macau still isn’t the sort of place you’d take the family and young kids, it’s more like Las Vegas.
So, in a bid to bring more tourists to the SAR, the government of Macau is planning on creating more family-focused hotels, activities and parks.
The current plan for the city’s urban growth is up for public debate on November 2, so we’ll see a lot more details about what the government is planning.
It’s expected for the northern region to become the home of a number of water parks and there will be a law drafted that prevents any casinos or gambling operations from opening in any new urban expansion areas.
This is hoped to make Macau feel more family-friendly so that the tourists begin flocking in.
Will it Work?
While it’s always a great idea to diversify income strategies, Rome wasn’t built in a day, a week or a month, for that matter.
It’s going to take years to complete these plans, and by then there’s a good chance that COVID-19 has cleared off and revelers are cramming their way into Macau’s many casinos.
This could cause the government to repeal the law preventing more gambling operations to open up in new urban expansion areas, turning these family plans into a bigger Las Vegas.
In a similar vein of thought, COVID-19 could continue to hamper travel plans for the world, preventing tourists from coming to Macau even after it’s become a family-friendly tourist destination.
Either way, hopefully we’ve finally got an excuse to head to Macau for the finest casinos and family bonding time all in the same trip.
Fun for all the family!
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