In order to enhance public understanding of smart tourism, the University of Macau’s (UM) Asia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management (APAEM) today (13 Jan) held the Smart Tourism Symposium 2021: Macau Smart City Initiative: Opportunities and Challenges for the Tourism Industry. Representatives from the Macau Government Tourism Office, Zhuhai Cultural, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau (ZCRTTSB), the tourism industry, and UM attended the event to discuss the current issues and opportunities in Macao’s tourism industry.
In his speech, UM Rector Yonghua Song said that in recent years, he has witnessed how smart cities can improve the efficiency of resource use and optimise urban management in mainland China, and how smart city development can effectively reduce the impact of the epidemic on life and economy. The APAEM has a dedicated research team on smart tourism to help Macao develop smart tourism, improve the quality of tourism services, and fully support the development of Macao into a world centre for tourism and leisure.
At the symposium, a number of speakers gave speeches on different topics. Mr Ricky Hoi, deputy director of Macao Government Tourism Office, gave a speech titled ‘Diversification of Macao’s Tourism after the Pandemic’. Mr Wu Xiangming, deputy director of ZCRTTSB, gave a speech titled ‘Opportunities for the Integration of Tourism Resources in the Greater Bay Area’. Ms Linda Chen, vice chairman and executive director of Wynn Macau, Limited, gave a speech titled ‘Using Smart City Technology to Boost Macao’s Development as a World Centre for Tourism and Leisure’. Prof Gong Zhiguo, head of the Department of Computer and Information Science at UM, gave a speech titled ‘Smart Tourism and Big Data’. Prof Alfred Wong, project leader of smart tourism of the APAEM, moderated the roundtable session, during which participants discussed how smart city development can support Macao’s advantages in tourism.
The APAEM aims to promote interdisciplinary research that has significant implications for the socio-economic development of Macao and the Greater Bay Area. It focuses on three main areas: financial innovation, smart tourism, and regional economics. For more information, please visit the APAEM’s official website at https://apaem.um.edu.mo/ .