Opinion Macau | Culture wanted

Last week, the Macau News Agency (MNA) revealed that the re-opening of Hotel Central has been delayed. Initially slated to open for the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the handover of Macau to China, in 2019, the owners of the property claimed the target date would be missed.

At this stage, a slight delay is better than no plan at all. Hotel Central, along with the Grand Hotel, situated at the west end of Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, could provide nice alternatives to visitors who are not planning to make gaming their main holiday activity in the city.

Thousands of rooms are available at casino properties in Macau, with occupancy rates often high, and amenities being generally good vis-a-vis the prices proposed. But it is still somewhat expensive when compared to other cities, mainly because there are no options available in-between pricey casino rooms and budget hotels or semi-legal accommodations in town.

With Airbnb out of the picture for the time being – and for a long time to come, it seems, according to recent declarations from tourism authorities – the scope of the offer is narrow.

And this not only relates to the price-range. It is also a matter of choice and taste.

One may be perfectly happy to pay a price similar to that which the Integrated Resorts ask for, but also have the option to stay downtown, closer to the historic centre, in the city proper, where daily life is one of the main attractions, instead of being limited to Cotai.

Such a venture would fall in line with repeated government proposals to diversify the economy, while re-signifying the role of Macau as a place of culture.

We often get overexposed to the official pitch of transforming the city into a world destination of tourism and leisure. Whereas this agenda is good for business, it may not be good for all types of businesses. Small enterprises risk collapsing further if there is no careful planning to cope with the challenges brought by big corporations to the more traditional social and economic fabric of the city.

So, it is good, but not good enough. But there are always possibilities emerging.

The latest UNESCO designation in the field of gastronomy adds another layer of recognition to Macau’s historical complexity and capacity to re-invent itself.

They all fit within the mandate, suggesting that this is an enormous opportunity to reassign meaning to Macau as a place of culture and craft.

With a title comes a responsibility.

*Editor-in-Chief, MNA