Macau appoints UK representative

(September 9, 2008) – Macau Government Tourist Office appointed Hume Whitehead as the new representative in the UK and Irish markets.

Following a comprehensive selection process, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has chosen Hume Whitehead, Limited to raise the destination’s profile, communicate key messages and increase visitors from the UK and Irish markets.

The appointment comes at an exciting time for Macau, one of the fastest-growing destinations in 2008 and demonstrates MGTO’s commitment to the important UK market. The agency’s focus will be to ensure that the destination becomes a “must visit” on any Far East holiday, as well as the perfect location for business events and conventions. From the cultural appeal of the historic center of Macau – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – to a wide-ranging program of year-round events and more recent developments such as state-of-the-art resorts, casinos and convention and entertainment facilities, Macau is evolving into one of the world’s most vibrant destinations.

As well as high profile media activities to raise awareness and understanding of Macau amongst consumers, Hume Whitehead will work closely with the travel industry to increase distribution of Macau tourism programs and increase sales through a range of partnership marketing campaigns.

“The UK market is one of the most important outbound travel markets in the world and we are confident that Hume Whitehead’s extensive experience and contacts will help us put Macau firmly on the map with UK and Irish consumers,” said Mr. João Manual Costa Antunes, director of the MGTO.

Sue Whitehead, director and co-founder of Hume Whitehead, said, “We are absolutely delighted to have been appointed to support Macau at such an exciting time and look forward to working with the MGTO team to promote the destination’s multi-dimensional attractions. Macau has something for everyone, a message we will be working hard to communicate over the forthcoming months.”

During the first seven months of this year, Macau’s visitor arrivals reached 17.6 million, an increase of 18.5% compared with the same period of 2007. Amongst this figure, Macau recorded more than 1.8 million international visitors, showing a 43.4% increase over the same period last year. The United Kingdom is the one of destination’s premier European source markets with 77,973 visitors last year, a growth of 36.5%.

Hume Whitehead is a representation and PR agency with clients across all areas of the travel industry including destinations, hotel groups and tour operators.