China News Service, May 7 (Xinhua) According to the website of the Macao SAR Government, the Macao SAR Government analyzed the results of the "Feasibility Study on Levying Passenger Tax", the characteristics of Macau's tourism industry and the changes in the current situation, and decided to stop considering passenger tax. In recent months, the number of visitors to Australia has decreased significantly, and tourism-related industries have been affected to varying degrees. The SAR Government is currently focusing on helping the industry recover.
Data map: Macau. Image source: Macao SAR Government website
The Macau Tourism Bureau completed the "Feasibility Study on Levying Passenger Tax" in 2019. The results show that all stakeholders have different opinions on the collection of passenger tax. At the same time, the study also refers to the 11 improvement strategies proposed by the World Tourism Organization for excessive passenger volume. The strategies used by many cities are “diversifying the distribution of tourists inside and outside the city” and “improving urban infrastructure and equipment.” Taking into account the sustainable development goals of Macau ’s tourism industry, the study reflects “controlling passenger growth by imposing passenger taxes Or the most effective measures that are not suitable for Macao. "
The year-on-year change in monthly visitor numbers to Australia in 2019 has increased from double-digit growth in the first 7 months to a double-digit decline at the end of the year; in addition, after the outbreak in 2020, the number of visitor arrivals increased from 285 in January The number of passengers dropped sharply to 210,000 in March, with a decline of more than 90%, which caused a major blow to Macau ’s tourism industry, and tourism-related industries including hotel, catering and retail industries were also affected.
The incident reflects that the characteristics of the tourism industry are more influenced by external factors. When encountering unexpected and unforeseen circumstances, the tourism industry bears the brunt, and various tourism-related industries are affected to varying degrees within a short period of time.
Tourism occupies an important position in the Macao economy, and its sustainable development will directly affect the development prospects of the Macao economy. The SAR Government comprehensively considered the results of the study, the characteristics of Macau ’s tourism industry and the changes in the current situation, and decided to stop considering the imposition of passenger taxes.
At this stage, the SAR government will help the industry recover through tax concessions and economic support, and try to avoid bringing adverse factors to the tourism industry.