Momentum in Macao: Building the Future in Integrated Business and Leisure Travel

As Macao marks 25 years as a special administrative region (SAR), the city looks to the future, embracing its cultural heritage and building on key markets to become a more diverse travel and business destination.

Macao is celebrating an important milestone—25 years as a special administrative region (SAR) of China. The once tranquil village has transformed into a hub of festivities, highlighting Macao’s evolution into a renowned international hotspot.

Central to this transformation is Sands China—a leading developer, owner, and operator of multi-use integrated resorts across Macao—which has grown alongside the region. Now, as Macao shifts its cultural and economic priorities, Sands China is developing its offerings to meet the needs of a new wave of travelers.

A Collaborative Relationship

In 2024, Macao’s economy is projected to more than double 2022’s US$22 billion GDP. By 2025, its economy is expected to surpass its pre-pandemic peak, making Macao the only advanced economy with a 2024 IMF growth forecast exceeding 5%. Macao’s reputation as a highly developed market economy is as strong today as it was 25 years ago.

Fundamental to this growth has been the significant contribution of the gaming and entertainment sector, largely pioneered by Sands China.

Just a few years after the city transitioned from a Portuguese trading post to SAR, Sands China opened its first casino hotel, Sands Macao. And when The Venetian Macao opened at Cotai Strip in 2007—soon joined by The Plaza Macao, The Parisian Macao, and The Londoner Macao—the area transformed into a bustling resort hub. Over the past two decades, Sands China has opened ten luxury hotels, six multifunctional entertainment venues, and the largest indoor shopping mall in Macao.

“We take immense pride in our role in Macao’s transformation into a world centre of tourism and leisure,” says Dr. Wilfred Wong, Executive Vice Chairman of Sands China Ltd. “As Macao’s first international integrated tourism and leisure enterprise, Sands China has welcomed over 950 million visitors and invested more than US$15 billion into the Macao economy.”

Premier Business Destinations

Following two decades of economic growth reliant on the entertainment and gaming sectors, in 2023 the Macao SAR government released a development plan for economic diversification, which included a headline focus on the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector.

To support this recalibration of priorities, which includes an ambitious goal of hosting 1,500 MICE events a year, Sands China launched its own development expansion plan for a world-class events offering, encompassing new attractions, state-of-the-art facilities, and refreshed amenities.

At the heart of this plan is the upcoming 190,000 square feet (18,000 sq m) MICE Pavilion, which will provide expansive event space and set a new standard for hosting through the Sands ECO360 Meetings Program.

The Pavilion will provide dedicated Green Meetings Concierges who collaborate with clients to minimize energy usage and single-use plastics, while also providing detailed reports on energy and water consumption, recycling rates, and carbon emissions.

Next-Level Developments

As Sands China continues to innovate, the focus shifts to enhancing the overall guest experience. Culinary offerings will be upgraded with several new restaurants and dining concepts, including The Huaiyang Garden, the only newly awarded two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong and Macao in 2024. Sands China is also redeveloping Le Jardin into a 500,000 square feet (50,000 sq m) tropical garden-themed attraction. Upgrades to The Venetian’s Cotai Arena, which has hosted Blackpink, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey, will round off Sands China’s transformation into a 360-degree destination fit for the future.

The diversification of Macao’s economy is also playing a pivotal role in shaping the region’s holistic growth. As such, Sands China is working in tandem with the community to support skills growth in burgeoning sectors.

“By investing in our local workforce, we are strengthening Macao’s position as a premier international destination for tourism and hospitality,” continues Dr. Wong. “This is ensuring that Macao’s economic diversification is benefiting our community and the broader region.”

Initiatives such as the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Program, which incubates local business, and the six new Sands Hospitality Academies, focusing on MICE talent recruitment, will create thousands of jobs, in addition to the 90,000 opportunities Sands China has already created.

As Macao enters a new era, Sands China is driving forward economic and cultural transformation with ambitious plans for the MICE industry. And with sustainability and community at the forefront, Sands China is ensuring that Macao’s future prosperity will benefit every corner of Macao’s society.

To find out more about hosting events in Macao, visit Sands Resorts Macao.