Sands Resorts Macao has enjoyed a strong and successful relationship with its trade partners in India over the past 11 years, ever since The Venetian Macao first opened in 2007. We find out more about this alliance and what it offers to MiCE travellers.
Kanchan Nath
Sands Resorts Macao is the largest integrated resort in Macau, with 13,000 rooms and suites. It is made up of seven hotels that include The Venetian Macao; The Parisian Macao; Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip; The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central; Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central; and Holiday Inn Macao, Cotai Central. Speaking about this diverse collection that Sands Macao offers to visitors, Stephanie Tanpure, Vice President of Sales, Sands China, says, “When MiCE visitors come, they can sign one contract, have one point of contact, and have the group of delegates experience these seven different hotels. The integrated resort also offers 150 international dining options, more than 850 duty-free stores, and more than 150,000 sqm of versatile meeting and events space, all under one roof.”
Millennial trends
The general appeal of Macau is very positive and Sands Resorts Macao has been able to leverage this successfully, as it continues to see fabulous results. “If we look at the MiCE segment, we are starting to see a lot of new traction from Tier-II cities in India. Millennials are seeking out low-cost carriers, but with a propensity to spend is a little bit more than their predecessors. With some of the new low-cost carriers opening up, such as Scoot Airlines flying from Jaipur to Singapore and then to Macau or Thai Smile having flights coming out of Varanasi, Ahmedabad and Lucknow into Bangkok and then through other airlines to Macau, we get a lot of this millennial MiCE from industries such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, IT and automobiles. What also benefits us is that Macau continues to be a visa-free country for Indian nationals,” she added, saying that in the first quarter of 2018, MGTO saw a growth of 7.9 per cent, as compared to 2017.
New offerings and refurbishments
As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, The Venetian suites were fully refurbished and the hotel now has 3000 renovated suites “The Indian market responded very well to the renovated rooms. Though The Venetian Macau is already very popular with Indians, we are seeing a lot of interest with The Parisian Macau as well. It has a lot of promotions targeted towards the Indian family market. We have a fabulous Parisian show in The Parisian Theatre, which is very popular. We offer excellent French cuisine, which brings a European flair. Our Indian travellers are seeking out the road of gastronomy. We have a rooftop water park for children and also the world’s first live-action role-play theme park. We have also added a new category of suites to the Parisian, which is The Champagne Suite,” said Tanpure while speaking about the latest offerings that would be of interest to Indian travellers.
“We have an Eiffel Tower in front of at The Parisian Macao, which is half the actual size of the tower. Directly opposite this we have the Sands Cotai Central, which has recently been transformed into the third themed experience, the Londoner. We will bring some of the landmarks from London there,” she added.
Packages
“Sands Resorts Macao has just introduced its Diwali package across two award-winning hotels – The Venetian Macao and The Parisian Macao. Available to book until December 29, 2018, the two-night offer includes accommodation, dining, ferry tickets, and entertainment from now until December 31, 2018. For meeting, conference and event organisers, another package – Meetings Beyond Imagination – has also been launched, featuring an array of value-added benefits and a wide range of entertainment and leisure activities available only at the integrated resort,” said Tanpure.
Gastronomy
Macau has received recognition from UNESCO for its gastronomical offerings. “We are constantly looking to be more innovative with shopping and gastronomy offerings. For instance, this month we will be adding a new Portuguese restaurant, the concept of which has been developed in partnership with Portuguese celebrity chef Henrique Sá Pessoa. We will also be adding Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, a 24-hour restaurant at The Parisian Macao, offering a contemporary twist to classic Beijing, Szechuan, and Shanghai cuisine,” she concluded.
Entertainment
Current entertainment on offer at Sands Macao includes the amazing Monkey King – China Show; Planet J, the world’s first live action role play, interactive theme park; and Thomas & The Little Big Club ALL STARS featuring Thomas the Tank Engine and friends for the family market. A perennial favourite is the signature Gondola Rides at The Venetian Macao’s famous canals, where guests are serenaded by the legendary singing gondoliers and the magnificent Eiffel Tower at The Parisian Macao.
