The 14th run of the Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) successfully concluded yesterday, 12th April, at The Venetian Macao.
Seen as the largest edition so far for the event which was initially staged in 2013, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) warmly welcomed over 700 exhibitors along with more than 600 hosted buyers from 58 countries, aside from members of the public seeking out the best deals for their next foreign and domestic trips.
The total event space spanned 30,000 sqm, occupied by around 1,500 booths featuring tourism boards, travel agencies, destination management companies, as well as the hospitality and commercial aviation sectors.
As MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes declared at the event: “MITE strives to deliver a programme that reflects the latest opportunities brought by Tourism+ to our city, our country, as well as the rest of the world.”
A precursor to bigger things
For many professionals in the East Asian and Southeast Asian travel industry, MITE often serves as a taster for bigger events coming up later in the year.
For most, it would be ITB China which comes up in late May in Shanghai wherein global professionals are able to interact with their peers in the Chinese Mainland
2026, however, also marks an important year for Greater China as the country brings regional economic partners to Shenzhen in November for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Prior to that, Macao will be rolling out the red carpet again for tourism boards in the Asia Pacific in June for the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in June which will be held concurrently with the 67th APEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting.
That Macao is hosting both tourism-centric events is proof of its growing stature in both the regional and global industry, as well as in travel and hospitality.
No stinting on luxury
What we found interesting at this year’s MITE was the way luxury hospitality continued to serve opulence, so to speak, despite the increasing economic crunch pressing on the world.
Sands Lifestyle Macao, whose centrepiece property The Venetian served as the primary venue, was there full force, displaying offerings for the original Sands Macao as well as its themed integrated resorts in Cotai.
Alongside Sands, its competitors Wynn and MGM also pulled out the stops with interactive displays that offered both buyers and the public a taste of what they had to offer.
Meanwhile, homegrown hospitality brand SJM Resorts SA presented offerings that were infused with the mix of Chinese and Portuguese traditions that has come to characterise Macanese culture.
We also noted the presence of an emergent player in Asian hospitality at the event: Wanda Hotels & Resorts which is based in Hong Kong and is a subsidiary of Suzhou-based Tongcheng Travel.
Barely 20 years old, the company’s primary operational network is in the Chinese Mainland, but it has begun its expansion into foreign markets with Wanda Vista Vientiane in Laos which has the distinction of being the tallest structure in the Lao capital; and Thailand via the Wanda Jin Residences in Bangkok and the Wanda Vista Resort Khum Wang Nuea in Chiang Mai which opens on 1st May of this year.
It is also notable that these luxury players actively refrained from presenting its gaming offerings throughout the event, focusing instead on family fun through retail, dining, and attraction-centric experiences at their respective properties.
Strengthening international bonds
We reported last week how Macao and the Greater China region are working to boost tourism and economic ties with Spain and Portugal, as well as Hispanophone and Lusophone countries in Latin America and Africa.
Likewise, MITE 2026 saw the first familiarisation tour of Macao for travel and tourism professionals from various Central Asian nations, specifically Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, immersing them in local culture and custom.
By doing so, Macao hopes to raise its profile as a destination of choice for travellers from the region, developing further operations for tourism collaboration, market expansion, and economic growth for all concerned.
As Merim Kozhokhamatova, vice-president of the Kyrgyzstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, declared at the Cultural Tourism Trade Forum on the Belt & Road Initiative: “Macau acts as a virtual link between Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking nations, and the Belt and Road region. Today's focus on trade, cultural tourism, and big health is perfectly timed as it directly supports Macau's 1+4 diversification strategy, creating a unique synergy where trade fuels growth and wellness and defends our future.”
Innovation and collaboration matter
This brings us to some of the most unique aspects of MITE 2026, specifically the collaboration between the special autonomous region and the Chinese province of Hengqin.
This year, a full afternoon was devoted on Saturday, 11th April, to the Macao-Hengqin Wellness Traveller Forum which not only presented key concepts on medical and wellness tourism to participants, but also brought them to the most prominent institutions in both Macao and Hengqin, enabling them to see for themselves innovative equipment alongside the synthesis of modern medicine and traditional Chinese wellness practices.
MITE 2026 also saw an expanded edition of last year’s travel tech pavilion which now shifts the concept of personal flight from the working models of last year to a highly viable shift to a low-altitude economy which could alleviate the worst of urban traffic.
Among the matters discussed was the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to boost urban mobility in the heart of the Greater Bay Area, thus improving connectivity between Hong Kong and Macao, as well as their closest neighbours in the mainland province of Guangdong.
But more than a hub for both tourism and innovation, Macao beyond MITE is a region that is certainly making the most of its innate advantages to rise in a number of fields on a global scale.
Furthermore, as part of the People’s Republic of China, Macao serves as a small but powerful platform that connects the mainland with the rest of the world, bringing in growth and development through new ways of thinking.
Photos: Marga Manlapig
