Macao promotes tourism and culture at London event

The Macao Government Tourism Office, or MGTO, held a tourism promotion event on Friday in London, showcasing Macao's latest tourism offerings and strengthening engagement with the European travel market.

The event, organized in collaboration with Macao artists and cultural organizations and supported by the China National Tourist Office London, brought together representatives from the United Kingdom travel trade, media outlets and Macao's tourism sector.

Blending cultural creativity with community vitality, the event introduced Macao's newest tourism developments and promoted "multi-destination" travel products linking the Macao Special Administrative Region with the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and aiming to further expand the European visitor market.

Speaking at the event, MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said that since the introduction of a 30-day visa-free entry policy for UK travelers to the Chinese mainland in February, it has become more convenient for visitors from the UK to combine trips to Macao SAR, Chinese mainland and Hong Kong SAR.

She also expressed hope that the London event would attract more potential visitors and strengthen cooperation with the UK travel trade.

Zhang Li, director of the China National Tourist Office London, said Macao is actively integrating into the development of Chinese mainland and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He said promoting Macao tourism remains an important mission for the office, adding that China's unilateral visa-free policy for UK citizens will help attract more international visitors to travel, conduct business and engage in exchanges in the region.

The event also highlighted Macao's community culture. Pal Lok Chok, founder and director of MyLand Culture, shared insights into projects that integrate Macao's cultural heritage, neighborhood life and contemporary artistic practices. Macao artist and restaurateur Filipe Dores introduced his creative approach to transforming the city's everyday tea culture into a form of contemporary artistic expression.

During the event, attendees sampled a specially crafted "MACAO" signature cocktail and viewed locally inspired gift packs jointly created by MGTO and MyLand Culture. Limited-edition art prints by Macao artists were also displayed to showcase Macao's street markets and neighborhood cultural experiences.

UK content creator Harry Jaggard, who has 9.5 million followers across platforms, visited Macao SAR, Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen in February to film travel content. At the promotion event, he shared his first-hand experience of "multi-destination" travel and introduced China's visa-free entry policy for UK citizens. Videos from his trip will be released on his social media platforms to boost Macao's visibility in the UK.

Earlier this year, Macao was named a "Preferred Destination 2026" by the Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies. The MGTO has actively promoted Macao across Europe, participating in major tourism events in Spain, Portugal and Germany to expand its visitor markets.