Legislator Chan Chak Mo has called for the organization of long-running campaigns to attract tourists and keep economically squeezed districts in Macau bustling.

Chan, also the head of a food and beverage businesses’ group, told media on Tuesday that 30 per cent of the enterprises that he approached had expressed satisfaction with their businesses last week, saying they were better compared to the same festive period a year earlier.

Only 10 per cent were
worse off comparatively, he said.

However, on the
contrary, the same percentage of businesses in districts less trodden by tourists
were unhappy with their situation.

Speaking on the
sidelines of a Legislative Assembly event for media professionals, the lawmaker
explained that the situation was to do with the northbound travel scheme for
local private cars enforced in January last year.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge – the only point of entry to the Chinese mainland for such vehicles – saw as many as 88,000 border crossings by those from the two special administrative regions over the eight-day Lunar New Year.

The figure accounted for about 70 per cent of the total traffic travelling north. A historic high of traffic by SAR vehicles was recorded on day four of the festive season.

The legislator believes
that sustaining long-lasting or recurring activities is crucial to attracting
visitors to residential areas that are often overlooked by tourists.

This strategy is likely
to compensate for the loss of customers who are drawn to the Chinese mainland where
costs are lower, he stressed.

“Macau is short of
long-running tourism campaigns,” he pointed out. “The situation of shopfronts
lying vacant can hopefully improve in the districts that have been decorated by
gaming operators.”

“These districts will become busy when there are festivities,” he suggested.