• About Us
  • The Team
  • Advertise with Us

The latest news on the gaming industry in Asia

() () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () () ()
  • Home
  • Macau
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Japan
  • Rest of Asia
  • World
  • Features
  • Industry Talk
  • Trends & Tech
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • RSS Feed
    • LinkedIn

Inbound visa policy report with Beijing by May: Macau govt

Mar 05, 2015 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  


Inbound visa policy report with Beijing by May: Macau govt

Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam Chon Weng said the government is working on a report detailing the number of Chinese visitors that have come to Macau since the introduction of the mainland’s Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) in 2003.

The context is what Mr Tam has called the “need to improve” the issuance of visas to individual travellers from mainland China. He reiterated that point again on Wednesday, without clearly spelling out what it might mean in practice.

But it has been reported in the local media that there has been discontent among some locals about the volume of visitors – many from mainland China – causing congestion in some parts of the city.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Tam said the report would analyse the growth in the number of independent travellers from mainland China going to Macau between 2003 and 2015.

The Macao Government Tourist Office has already compiled the data, the official said, quoted in a press statement from the Government Information Bureau. Mr Tam added that he expects the first report to be ready “next week”.

The IVS system allows mainland Chinese living in eligible areas of the mainland to apply for a travel permit to visit Macau individually instead of having to be part of a tour group. It was first implemented in four Guangdong cities and expanded several times between July 2003 and January 2007. The number of cities under the IVS currently stands at 49.

Macau welcomed a record 31.5 million visitors last year, with more than 21.2 million coming from mainland China. The independent travellers accounted for 45 percent of the aggregate mainland visitor arrivals to Macau in 2014.

Mr Tam on Wednesday said the government would deliver a detailed report with suggestions on how to improve the IVS to the central government “before May”, the Portuguese-language channel of Radio Macau reported.

The policy secretary said the government also plans to highlight to mainland authorities the need to find ways to make mainland tourists go to Macau in different seasons of the year. Radio Macau quoted Mr Tam saying that Macau “has no conditions” to receive more tourists during peak periods, such as the Chinese New Year.

According to the public broadcaster, the official acknowledged that any new measures could have an impact on some sectors of the economy and would not be welcomed by all, but said the government would make every effort to come up with a “balanced” policy.

“This policy has to be very prudent and cautious,” he was quoted saying, adding that no decision has yet been made. “We will still review it and discuss with the relevant authorities in China,” he added.

A cap on the number of mainland visitors entering Macau would affect both the number of VIP gamblers and the number of mass casino players, Japanese brokerage Nomura warned last month.

Commenting on the issue on Wednesday, Macau’s Chief Executive, Fernando Chui Sai On, said the government has to take into consideration the livelihood of the city’s residents.

“The IVS policy has been introduced more than 10 years ago, so this is the right time to review it,” Mr Chui was quoted saying in an official statement.


  • tweet
Related articles
  • Melco Resorts to run 20 electric buses in Macau from May 
    Melco Resorts to run 20 electric buses...

    Apr 18, 2018  

  • Macau gaming recovery very broad-based: JP Morgan
    Macau gaming recovery very broad-based:...

    Apr 17, 2018  

More news
  • Casino bill approved by Japan govt, heads to Diet
    Casino bill approved by Japan govt,...

    Apr 27, 2018  

  • Ponte 16 first in Macao to get new smoking lounge okayed
    Ponte 16 first in Macao to get new...

    Apr 27, 2018  


Latest News

Casino bill approved by Japan govt, heads to Diet

Casino bill approved by Japan govt, heads to Diet

Apr 27, 2018  

The Japanese government endorsed on Friday a bill setting the broad regulatory framework for the establishment of a casino industry in the country. The document – known as the Integrated Resorts...
Read More
Ponte 16 first in Macao to get new smoking lounge okayed

Ponte 16 first in Macao to get new smoking lounge okayed

Apr 27, 2018  

Bloomberry unit to pay US$717 mln for Solaire land

Bloomberry unit to pay US$717 mln for Solaire land

Apr 27, 2018  

Slideshow

Macau casinos celebrate Chinese New Year

Interviews

  • BMM prepped for Macau EGM regulation update: White
    BMM prepped for Macau EGM regulation update: White

    Jan 04, 2018  

    BMM Testlabs “ticks all the boxes” with regard to its...
  • Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam casino biz to watch: Klebanow
    Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam casino biz to watch: Klebanow

    Dec 08, 2017  

    The regulated casino industry is well versed in dealing...
  • Cloud services, e-Sports highlights of MGS 2017: Chun
    Cloud services, e-Sports highlights of MGS 2017: Chun

    Oct 23, 2017  

    The presence of some of the leading cloud computing...
  • Crunch time for Tokyo casino option: Caesars exec
    Crunch time for Tokyo casino option: Caesars exec

    Jul 11, 2017  

    The Tokyo local election setback for Japan’s governing...
  • Suncity bets on Vietnam, resurgent Macau VIP: Andrew Lo
    Suncity bets on Vietnam, resurgent Macau VIP: Andrew Lo

    Jul 06, 2017  

    A multibillion U.S. dollar casino project on Vietnam’s...

Pick of the Day


US$1.46 billion

Las Vegas Sands’ net income for the first quarter of 2018



Most Popular

  • Macau regulator approves Lucky 6 side bet for baccaratMacau regulator approves Lucky 6 side bet for baccarat April 25, 2018
  • Las Vegas Sands has strong 1Q growth in Macau, SingaporeLas Vegas Sands has strong 1Q growth in Macau, Singapore April 26, 2018
  • Wynn Macau Ltd profit doubles, peninsula revamp soonWynn Macau Ltd profit doubles, peninsula revamp soon April 25, 2018

Copyright 2017 TEAM Publishing and Consultancy Ltd / All rights reserved
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Useful Links
  • Contact Us