Macau’s top official, Ho Iat Seng, has announced that the government has received plans from six gaming operators for revitalizing Macau’s old districts in the city’s bid for diversification. According to the AGB checks, excepting the already known districts such as Barra (near A-Ma temple) and the Inner Port area, the Old Taipa Village and the northern part of the Macau Peninsula are also included. 

The northern part of the peninsula is primarily a residential area, but this area will also be the subject of revitalization plans. The focus of the project will be on the Iao Hon and Fai Chi Kei areas.

An industry insider told AGB that Sands China would be involved in revitalizing the Old Taipa Village around the famous touristic spot Rua da Cunha. The other six gaming companies have submitted details of the revitalization of the old districts since April, and the relevant proposals have been revised after discussions with the government.

According to the information that has been made public, SJM has disclosed the most comprehensive, detailed plan, revealing that it is based on the geographical advantages of the company, and has put forward its plan to revitalize Macau’s historical area. SJM hopes that with the support of the government, the San Ma Lo area (Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro) will be revitalized into a new cultural landmark of Macau, with wishes to attract international customers and benefit the small and medium enterprises in the area. 

SJM reveals that the project will invite senior cultural experts to participate in the planning and design. The plan includes turning Pier 16 (Ponte 16) and the connected Pier 14 into a riverside food street. The endpoint of the project will extend the development of maritime tourism, and experts will be hired to restore and revitalize the “Macau Palace” (Floating Boat). 

The floating casino will moor in Pier 14 in the Inner Harbor, providing tourism elements such as catering, retail, and cultural facilities, so that visitors can relive the old feelings of Macau.

MGM China will focus on the development of the Barra weekend night market, so that the art market will be regularized, and establish a new model of night economy, providing young people with a start-up platform and a low threshold marketing environment. 

MGM China also said that its flagship project – the MGM Lion Competition, will move to the Barra area.

Wynn Macau’s commitment to community revitalization projects is to help raise awareness of some of Macau’s historical and cultural sites while supporting the goal of developing “maritime tourism.” But so far, there are no more details.

According to Macau’s Chief Executive, the old district revitalization can’t rely solely on the government and requires the knowledge of the private sector, noting that “gaming operators know tourists better”.

In this case, due to a lack of vision of the whole tourism market of Macau, the government’s efforts to renew the old zones of Macau may fail, the official opines. Ho Iat Seng believes that Macau gaming companies will inject commercial elements into the old town and let the old city and Cotai Strip be developed simultaneously.

THe Macau government will also publish its new plan for diversifying the local economy according to the six gaming operators’ proposals submitted in the first quarter. The publishing date is scheduled for this month.