Current situation of Macao’s tourism industry

Macao is a city highly dependent on tourism and has very rich tourism resources. However, due to the continued impact of the epidemic around the Spring Festival in 2008, flights and maritime transportation routes in various countries were temporarily closed, and the number of tourists dropped sharply. Macau’s tourism industry is experiencing a cold winter. Let’s introduce it in detail below.

Currently, local citizens in Macau have begun to go to local attractions one after another, with the number of people increasing slightly compared with the Spring Festival period.

We walked through Da San Ba ??Alley and arrived at Da San Ba, one of the most popular attractions in Macau. Many shops on both sides of the street have resumed business, but the shops that kept shouting and the tourists who used to talk to the bosses are gone, and the chatter of passers-by in the distance is very clear. At the entrance of one of the snack bars, we met two tourists from the mainland.

They applied for the visa before Hong Kong and Macau independent travel visas were suspended, and wanted to take advantage of the fact that there were fewer people. According to the epidemic prevention policy, they were quarantined for 6-8 hours when entering Macau. They admit it's a bit painful to wait and see, but there's nothing they can do. (Update: The latest regulations of the Macau SAR government prohibit the entry of all residents from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan who have been to foreign countries in the 14 days before entering Macau from 0:00 on March 25.)

Welcome from the mainland tourists

At the door of this snack bar, the enthusiastic shopkeeper told us that the epidemic has really hit businesses hard. Currently, the number of customers on weekdays is only about 10%, but he is already very satisfied. Although it was difficult, he was still full of laughter, optimistic and calm.

The optimistic snack owner uncle

The most shops in Dasanba Alley are souvenir shops. On weekdays, various brands compete with each other, and shop assistants who attract customers constantly introduce their products. Free samples of shortbread and jerky are everywhere. But today, even the most popular "great handwriting" is bleak. On the day we went, only one of the several "big stores" on the same street was open, and few customers visited this store. The store manager said that their customers have dropped by 90%. Most of them are Hong Kong tourists and local residents, and there are almost no mainland tourists.

The manager of the store said that there were 90% fewer customers.

When we arrived at the archway for the No. 3 bus, the sight in front of us felt strange to the young people.

Although there were many tourists on this day, compared with previous crowds, many adults felt as if they had returned to Macau in the last century. For those of us who said "00" later, we might not believe this scene if we hadn't seen it with our own eyes.

On March 16, Macau’s landmark March 8th.

Onsite staff said that the number of tourists here dropped by 90% during the epidemic. Today's tourists are mainly local residents, especially many young people who come here to check in and record this rare third bus.

We also came here in early February, when there were really only a handful of tourists. The epidemic was severe at that time, and the empty scenes reminded people of the tense feeling at that time.

The third bus in early February.

Public *** venues are open on a limited basis, and protective materials are in sufficient supply.

After the outbreak, all government facilities in Australia suspended operations. Starting from February 17, some public and private departments of the Macau government have resumed providing basic services and launched online health declaration forms. Before entering government facilities, your temperature must be taken and your declaration number must be shown, and staff must register together with their temperature.

Register and have your temperature taken before entering the Central Library.

On weekdays, my friends and I like to study in the Central Library in Stone Square. Now during the epidemic, only 50 people can use it at the same time.

At the health clinic next to the library, there are many people queuing up to buy masks. The "Mask Protection Plan" is a highlight of this epidemic prevention and control measures. The Macau SAR government ordered a large number of masks long before the Spring Festival and is now in the seventh round of supply.

I returned to Australia from overseas in early February. I was worried that there were not many masks at home. Many pharmacies had sold out of masks. After learning about this plan, I immediately went to buy some. Not only are there many sales points, you can even see the number of masks left at each sales point

We also passed by a store selling disinfection and protective supplies. Products and prices can be clearly seen from the outside. Masks, disinfectant, antibacterial hand sanitizer and other protective supplies are available at very affordable prices.

Personal protective equipment in grocery stores is affordable.

Diners have reduced their travels, and business in old neighborhood shops has dropped sharply.

Cooked food stalls are a culture in Macau wet markets. Many wet markets in Australia have such an area dedicated to cooked food. Many shops have been open for many years, and this cattle shop in the camp market is one I have frequented since I was a child. Because the store is small, it has not introduced some smart services such as online ordering and takeout.

During the epidemic, business has been bleak. Because it mainly does neighborhood business, its usual customers are mainly locals and Hong Kong people. Now, some people who live in other districts rarely come to this community, so the number of customers has also decreased. She said frankly, "Almost." It's not as popular as it used to be, and we don't have the excitement we used to have, but I hope the store can offer takeout soon and maybe do a little more sales.

The snack bar owner admitted that business was “about the same”.

Business in large-scale stores is bleak, and the clerk said frankly that it is "very miserable"

Will large shopping malls be better? Out of curiosity, we went to a 4-story daily necessities mall, which mainly sells various beauty products, skin care products, and daily necessities. Because of the abundant supply and favorable prices, it always attracts many tourists on weekdays. In peak seasons, the place can even be crowded, and it takes more than half an hour to queue to pay.

However, we were stunned by the scene. Almost only the store staff, and even some big-name products were ignored. The clerk told us that today's turnover is only 30 to 40% of the usual turnover. It is mainly frequented by some blond foreigners and Southeast Asian expatriates, or some people who shop after get off work.

There are very few customers in the mall.

The clerk told us about a phenomenon. If there are new cases, many people will be frightened at once, and the customer flow in the mall will become very small. After a while, the customer flow will pick up slightly. When leaving, the clerk said bluntly, "It's really miserable."

The store clerk couldn't help but sigh, "It's so miserable."

Walking on the street, people can see "Special Administrative Region Government Appeal" notices posted everywhere. There are translated broadcasts in Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Portuguese on the street. Prevention and control measures are really everywhere.

Street prevention tips and broadcasts

The most familiar and anticipated places.

When I come to Lulianruo Park, which I am most familiar with, I also need to take my temperature and show a declaration form. There are also on-site staff dedicated to recording the number of visitors at different times of the day. It can be seen that there were still many citizens visiting here throughout the morning. According to our observation, it is mainly families and the elderly.

Park entrance staff use traditional methods to count the number of people entering the park.

Behind the park is my school. Looking at the school building from here, I feel a little nostalgic.

Lulin International Exhibition Center Garden

It has been two months since the announcement to postpone the start of school. A resumption date had been set but was postponed again due to recent new cases. As a high school sophomore, I am anxious and helpless. The day of entering the graduating class is just around the corner, and studying at home is far less efficient than studying at school. How to make up for the lost courses is still a big question mark. At the same time, many of the originally enriching club activities have been cancelled, and I can’t help but feel frustrated.

Many students around me are also sad about the cancellation of competitions and public examinations, especially senior high school students, who have suffered heavy losses. The original schedule for further studies has been disrupted, and some graduation activities cannot be held. In comparison, we are lucky. At this moment, we can only hope that the epidemic will pass quickly and everyone can return to normal life as soon as possible. We really want to start school.