What does the future hold for Macau? And just how high should this remarkable city aim?

Those questions have been a common topic of discussion at MGS Entertainment Show this week with a range of widely varied viewpoints on exactly where Macau stands in its quest to become “The World Center of Tourism and Leisure” as set out in the government’s five-year plan in 2016.

One particularly notable opinion came from the CEO of Macau’s biggest junket operator Suncity Group, Alvin Chau, who expressed his belief that Macau is already “The World Center of Tourism and Leisure” and should therefore stop trying to reinvent itself. “Why not just recognize that we are already the World Center of Tourism and that Macau has established its own advantages? We need to stop pushing to spend more money (on diversification),” he said.

Conversely, DICJ Director Paulo Martins Chan suggested that Macau could only achieve its goal by establishing a more appropriate regulatory framework and continuing to push local operators to diversify their operations.

In that regard, MGM China Executive Director Pansy Ho described her company’s plans to differentiate its new Cotai IR, MGM Cotai, from the opposition by focusing on unique offerings, including a revolutionary eSports arena.

So many different ideas, so many possibilities for the future.

Ben Blaschke
Managing Editor