DISCUSSION
While a global leader in the gaming industry in terms of gross gaming
revenues, Macao’s MICE sector continues to operate in the margins of the
highly lucrative gaming sector. The increasing revenues generated by a wellestablished
gaming market still in its developing stage provide little incentive
to the industry to change course. An aim of the liberalization process in early
2000 was to act as a key catalyst to change the general unattractiveness of
Macao’s casino environment and to stimulate the economy. The economy
did significantly advance but fueled predominantly by the existing gaming
industry and a casino liberalization policy. Shifting the image of Macao of
being a gambling destination to one that can offer a diverse range of nongaming
experiences such as business tourism still remains a challenge. Lack of
an agreed way forward through a formalized master plan into which issues
such as a public and private sector consensus on destination marketing, labor,
and addressing infrastructure development and resource challenges still
remains.