Macau Able to Receive More Tourists: MGTO Deputy

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Macau able to receive more tourists: MGTO deputy

Staff Reporter Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Deputy Director Ricky Hoi Io Meng said yesterday that with improved infrastructure and tourism facilities, Macau would be able to further raise its tourism carrying capacity.

Hoi made the upbeat forecast while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s Macau Forum, the weekly debate programme hosted by government-owned broadcaster TDM at its Macau Forum studio in Zape every Sunday.

Yesterday’s focus of the forum was on whether Macau should implement a tourist tax – an “entry fee” to be paid by visitor arrivals.

In a plenary session of the Legislative Assembly (AL) last month, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam Chon Weng noted that the findings of a study on Macau’s tourism carrying capacity for 2017 conducted by the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) showed that the city can receive up to 110,000 tourists per day – or 40 million per year. The findings also showed that there were 21 days in 2017 in which the number of visitor arrivals per day exceeded 110,000, Tam noted.

Tourism carrying capacity “Tourism Carrying Capacity” is defined by the Madrid-based United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) as “the maximum number of people that may visit a tourist destination at the same time, without causing destruction to the physical, economic, socio-cultural environment and an unacceptable decrease in the quality of visitors’ satisfaction,” according to Wikipedia.

During last month’s plenary session, Tam said it was very important to implement strategies to ensure that the number of visitor arrivals per day is more evenly distributed across the whole year.

Infrastructure The policy secretary said that with more infrastructure projects to be completed in the future – such as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) as well as projects in the city’s new land reclamation zones – and with the provision of more diversified tourism products, Macau should be able to have a higher tourism carrying capacity.

According to the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC), Macau recorded 35.8 million visitor arrivals last year, a new record, a 9.8 percent increase from 2017 when the city recorded 32.6 million visitor arrivals.

The Public Security Police (PSP) said in a statement yesterday that the number of entries and exits at the Barrier Gate border checkpoint hit a record high of 467,000 on Saturday. The statement also said that the police recorded 1.24 million entries and exits at all the checkpoints of the city on Friday and Saturday. The figures announced by the Public Security Police, who run the city’s immigration service, comprise local residents, visitors, non-resident workers and non-local students enrolled in Macau.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Hoi said that the findings of the study by the Institute for Tourism Studies – 110,000 tourists per day – were based on various conditions in Macau in 2017.

He noted that Macau’s infrastructure has improved since that year, such as the opening of the Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) in October last year, which now is handling visitors who otherwise would have used the

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Barrier Gate checkpoint.

Hoi said that therefore the general public should not simply compare the current number of visitor arrivals per day with the figure of 110,000 tourists per day mentioned in the IFT study.

Hoi also said that the tourism carrying capacity in a particular city should not only be evaluated by basing it on that city’s population and its number of visitor arrivals, but should also be based on the capacities of its border checkpoints, the conditions of its sightseeing spots and its public transport.

When asked whether Macau could cope with even more tourists, Hoi said the exact estimate of a city’s tourism carrying capacity was a rather complicated issue.

He said that destinations facing “overtourism” all have their very own characteristics resulting in the issue, adding that the UNWTO published a report last month which proposes certain measures for different regions in the world to increase their tourism carrying capacities.

Overtourism When asked whether Macau was facing “overtourism”, i.e. too many tourists, Hoi said that currently large increases in visitor arrivals primarily occur during festive seasons and the mainland’s Golden Week holiday periods, adding that most tourists choose to visit the city’s most popular sightseeing spots such as the St Paul’s Ruins and Largo do Senado.

He said that the limited tourism carrying capacities of Macau’s most popular sightseeing spots were resulting in the phenomenon of overcrowding. However, he noted that the number of tourists visiting other – less popular – sightseeing spots was still within a “controllable” range.

Hoi also said that the revamped Grand Prix Museum in Zape and a museum commemorating national composer Xian Xinghai near Avenida do Coronel Mesquita were slated to come into service this year, adding that these two new tourism spots could help divert some tourists from the city’s most popular sightseeing spots.

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支持者稱改善交通反對者指無助減客徵旅客稅兩極有排拗

【本報消息】澳門論壇昨探討澳門應否徵收旅客稅，發言嘉賓及居民對徵稅意見不一。支持者認為可用稅收改善本澳交通及旅遊設施等；反對意見認為收稅無助減少旅客量，只是增加政府收入。旅遊局則稱持開放態度，要待研究結果出爐後，才有是否徵收旅客稅的立場。

不同收費助分流

論壇昨日上午十一時在綜藝二館舉行。有發言居民表示，澳門旅客過多，對交通造成沉重壓力，輪候的士及巴士經常排長龍，建議徵稅後作為本地居民的交通津貼。建議每名旅客稅收取十元或二十元，且不同口岸有不同收費，有助分流作用。有意見建議在澳逗留滿三日或以上可免稅，有助促使旅客延長留澳時間。亦有反對意見認為，徵收旅客稅無助減少旅客量，只是增加政府收入。建議政府與知名旅遊網站合作推廣，讓更多旅客知悉智慧旅遊系統。

旅局稱中立待研

旅遊局副局長許耀明回顧研究收稅起因，指今年春節黃金周錄得逾一百二十一萬旅客量，較去年同期增加兩成；加上日本開始徵收國際觀光旅遊稅，本澳有意見倡議研究旅客稅，“使旅客量增幅冇咁大”，故局方開始着手研究。目前，旅遊局對徵收旅客稅持開放態度、抱中立立場，要待完成研究後才有是否徵收旅遊稅的立場。

對於有意見認為徵收旅客稅後，會令旅客對澳門反感，影響澳門旅遊形象。許耀明表示，好多國家或地區都有徵收旅客稅，認為澳門未來若要收稅，不會對旅遊形象造成太大影響。但要思考徵費方式，以減少對旅客的不便。

單一產業宜謹慎

他指，政府現時亦有對酒店、酒吧、舞廳等行業徵收旅遊稅，不分本地或外地居民，凡到上述場所消費均收取百分之五的旅遊稅。去年旅遊稅收約九點八八億元。

經濟發展委員會委員李卓君不贊成徵收旅客稅，認為政府不應因旅客增加就收稅，“斬腳趾避沙蟲”，應該前瞻性規劃，創造更多旅遊空間，同時設法加強旅客分流。旅遊業議會理事長黃輝認為徵稅要謹慎，因為澳門產業較單一，多個行業收入直接或間接來自旅客，擔憂徵稅會令旅客對澳門反感。旅遊學院旅遊業研究暨科研中心成員盧振邦則持開放態度，認為調查的內容應包括稅收金額、收稅對象及收稅方式等。

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大數據分流旅客今年新增兩景點旅局不認同承載力爆錶

【本報消息】澳門旅客數量屢創新高，旅遊區承載力“爆錶”問題凸顯。旅遊局承認，黃金周期間部分熱門景點出現“過度旅遊 ”情況，但不認同澳門整體承載力“爆錶”，指承載力會隨着口岸、交通、新景點等方面完善會有所提升。預計澳門今年將新增兩個旅遊景點。

清明疊假客增兩成

旅遊局副局長許耀明昨受訪時表示，清明節假期（四月五日及六日），訪澳人數較去年同期增長約兩成，其中從香港來澳旅客錄得逾四成升幅。經初步分析，主要是因港珠澳大橋落成後交通便捷，而且今年清明節連同周末日共有三天假期，因此吸引更多旅客來澳。

舊研究資料待更新

旅遊學院進行的“澳門旅遊接待能力”調查研究，是本澳承載力的重要參考。最新研究結果顯示，二○一七年本澳的最佳旅遊接待能力日均十一萬人次，但前日單是關閘的出入境人次已逾四十六萬人次。旅遊局引述旅遊學院研究員解釋，旅院報告的承載力數據是因應一七年旅遊基建等多個因素推算得出，當年的日均最佳接待能力人次，故屬“過去式資料”、“不具預測性”，認為不能與今日的旅客量作直接對比。局方將與旅遊學院協調，期望能得出較近期的旅遊承載力。

被問及澳門承載力是否“爆錶”、局方是否“心中無底”？許耀明否認“心中無底”，重申旅遊承載力是由景點、口岸、交通運輸能力等承載力而綜合得出。旅遊、交通、出入境部門對各自負責範疇的承載力均有一定的預估。

首認熱點過度旅遊

他表示，當局曾預期今年旅客會有百分之六至八的增幅。但據統計，現階段實際旅客量已較預估值高，未來會再因應旅遊環境及旅客出遊情況，重新估算旅客增長量。

被問及澳門是否出現“過度旅遊”？許耀明說，本澳並非完全沒有“過度旅遊”情況，承認在黃金周期間的熱門景點，如議事亭前地、大三巴，出現過多擁擠情況，故警方需適時實施分流措施，但相信本澳仍有不少景點有寬裕的資源可接待遊客。旅局會參考世旅組織建議，利用大數據加強旅客管理，在不同時間舉辦不同活動，積極把熱門景點旅客分流至冷門景點。預計今年落成投入使用的冼星海紀念館、大賽車博物館等，可起到一定的分流作用。

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徵稅與澳在灣區發展定位背道而馳柳智毅：對症下藥訂旅策

【本報消息】本澳旅客量屢創新高，入境客量破紀錄已不僅局限內地黃金周期間，小長假、甚至平日的周末試過創新高，承載力再次引起熱議。旅遊局早前表示正研究是否徵收旅客稅，以改善旅遊基建。澳門經濟學會理事長柳智毅認為，徵收旅客稅須考慮綜合因素及明晰目的，若徵稅為減少旅客，會與本澳在大灣區的發展定位背道而馳。政府可針對旅客對社區及居民的影響，作長期追蹤及分析後“對症下藥”，訂定更有效的旅遊政策。

明晰目的通盤考量

坊間對於徵收旅客稅持兩極意見，旅遊局則抱持開放態度作研究。柳智毅表示，徵收旅客稅有好有壞，現階段不宜過早評論。但他認為，若將來考慮徵收旅客稅，政府必須綜合考慮多方面的因素，如徵稅目的是為了改善世界旅遊休閒中心的設施及基建、增加旅遊資源，抑或為了減少旅客來澳。不同的目的會連帶影響收稅的金額、方式等，必須有通盤的考慮。

設障或阻三地人流

他指，有不少熱點旅遊地的國家，已開展徵收旅客稅政策，包括入境、離境稅；酒店、機票額外加額等不同形式收稅，通過徵稅以完善旅遊設施，及加強宣傳當地的旅遊文化及產品等。若按國際慣例及經驗，收取一百至二百多元的旅遊稅，相信對一般旅客影響不大，但自由行或低端旅客可能會受影響，從相關角度出發可能會做到減少旅客量的效果。

柳智毅提醒，雖特區政府可參考相關做法，但必須首要考慮在融入粵港澳大灣區發展的背景下，本澳的定位是發展世界旅遊休閒城市。《粵港澳大灣區發展規劃綱要》亦提出多項措施，希望打通三地的人流、物流、資金流，加快融入發展。若以減少旅客作徵稅主要目的，會與大灣區的發展方向及精神背道而馳，為三地人流方面設置障礙。重申政府應多聽社會各界意見，審慎研究徵收旅客稅。

宜作長期追蹤調研

坊間部分意見贊同徵收旅客稅以減少旅客，歸根究底出於旅客量“爆錶”、城市承載等問題。根據旅遊學院一七年的“澳門旅遊接待能力”研究顯示，估算本澳最佳旅遊接待能力為每日十一萬人次，但相關數字已不合時宜，至今亦未有新的相關研究。他表示，由於承載力的可變性很高，且每日的旅客量亦有不同，相關數字只可作參考。雖然居民認為旅客量“爆晒煲”，但亦有中小企認為旅客不夠，未能受惠於旅客消費。

他認為，政府除多宣傳本澳不同景點，分流旅客；制訂旅遊政策時亦要平衡考慮商界及居民的需要。建議政府針對旅客對社區及居民的影響，以及旅客對中小企商戶的影響，作長期追蹤及調研分析，相信比起只調查承載的報告，對制訂政策可起更具體的參考作用。

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認為政府須做好負責任旅遊加強規劃檢討開徵旅客稅群力促慎研

【特訊】去年本澳旅客量超過三千五百萬人次，承載力問題再度引起社會高度關注，旅遊局早前表示，正研究是否徵收旅客稅，希望透過收取稅項改善城市建設。群力智庫副理事長陳家良認為，任何一項稅目不可盲目開徵，當局必須審慎研究，包括徵收旅客稅的目的、能否達到預期效果，以及會否影響旅客觀感等。長遠而言，政府必須做好「負責任旅遊」，加強旅遊整體規劃與檢討，提早打造新旅遊景點，拓展多元的旅遊產品和服務，持續優化旅遊業發展。

據統計，去年來澳的旅客量再創新高，達到三千五百八十萬人次。陳家良稱，入境旅客屢創新高反映出本澳博彩旅遊業的蓬勃發展，數量龐大的旅客不僅加大了本澳整體環境、交通等壓力，同時已嚴重影響本澳居民在居住、出行等方面的生活品質。隨著全球化步伐加快，「過度旅遊」的現象早已蔓延至全球多個熱門旅遊城市，各地政府紛紛出招應對。如阿姆斯特丹政府向旅客收取住宿房價的百分之六作為旅客稅，以遏制旅客數量；而威尼斯擬於今年夏季向不過夜的短途旅客開徵「入城稅」，稅款將用作管理城市、清潔街道，為遊客提供優質服務；日本最近亦隨機票開徵「國際觀光旅客稅」，納稅對象包括離境的日本人和旅客。

陳家良認為，開徵旅客稅雖然可為政府庫房增加財政收入，緩解過量旅客對本地環境資源所造成的影響，但他認為政府必須審慎研究，包括徵收稅項的目的、能否達到預期效果，以及會否影響旅客觀感等。與此同時，隨著粵港澳大灣區的深度融合，開徵旅客稅可能會令內地遊客反感，降低家庭客、背包客等客源來澳的意慾，削弱小城競爭力。而在實際操作上，亦會面臨諸多問題，例如旅客稅如何徵收、是在遊客出入境時繳納，還是直接附加在酒店賬單中，連串的問題都必須通盤考慮，做好客觀分析及科學評估。

面對旅遊承載力「爆錶」的困局，他認為特區政府責無旁貸，必須做好「負責任旅遊」，加強旅遊整體規劃與檢討，拓展多元的旅遊產品和服務，完善城市基礎設施，提升旅遊承載力的預估與研判能力；同時利用智慧旅遊發展的契機，透過大數據做好分流旅客措施，減緩旅遊發展對城市所帶來的承載力衝擊，以及對本澳整體城市基建、交通方面的壓力，持續優化旅遊業發展。◇