{"id":12524,"date":"2024-09-04T09:22:24","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T01:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/?p=12524"},"modified":"2024-09-04T09:24:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T01:24:09","slug":"utms-international-centre-for-tourism-and-hospitality-research-helps-macaos-tourism-sector-via-data-driven-insights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.utm.edu.mo\/NewsPortal\/utms-international-centre-for-tourism-and-hospitality-research-helps-macaos-tourism-sector-via-data-driven-insights\/","title":{"rendered":"UTM\u2019s International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research helps Macao\u2019s tourism sector via data-driven insights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\u4e2d\u6587\u6458\u8981 \/ Summary in Chinese<\/span>\n\n\n\n
The International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research at UTM is helping shape Macao’s tourism policies. The centre, led by Prof. Leonardo Dioko, has also worked on collaborative projects with other institutions, including destination branding for the city and management of large volumes of visitors from elsewhere in the Greater Bay Area<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

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UTM\u2019s International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research has played a pivotal role in shaping the city\u2019s tourism policies over the past two decades. Under the leadership of Prof. Leonardo (Don) Dioko, the centre has been at the forefront of evidence-based insights for policymakers, helping to steer Macao\u2019s tourism development in a direction that prioritises sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t do research for the sake of research,\u201d says Prof. Dioko. \u201cWe do it for the sake of policy improvement. That\u2019s what has distinguished us and our work over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research unit has long been part of UTM\u2019s organisation, since the  inception of UTM\u2019s predecessor institution, the Institute for Tourism Studies, and was one of the first bodies to monitor and examine the city’s tourism sector, which was then beginning to flourish. As the industry rapidly grew in importance following the liberalisation of the casino industry, the centre\u2019s role became increasingly crucial in addressing key challenges and issues arising from this transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe core of our research lies in measuring the impact of tourism on residents\u2019 quality of life,\u201d Prof. Dioko explains. \u201cIt\u2019s also the core of government policymaking. As you can see from other destinations around the world, it has very serious implications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The centre\u2019s research portfolio is diverse. Work best-known to the public includes the Macao Tourism Satisfaction Index (MTSI) \u2013 providing a deeper understanding of the profile of visitors \u2013 and the Human Resource Monitor, examining stress levels, job satisfaction, and career progression among hospitality and tourism industry workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Dioko cites several instances where the centre\u2019s research has directly influenced policy decisions. Among these was to recommend the introduction of more pedestrianised areas in and around the city\u2019s historic centre, a suggestion adopted to aid crowd management and safety purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The centre\u2019s research has also played a role in shaping labour relations in Macao. \u201cAnother example which we\u2019re very proud of is that, before the pandemic, we regularly held briefings for the tourism and hospitality industry about the conditions for people working in this sector,\u201d Prof. Dioko says. “Industry members actually tried to implement some of our recommendations, such as improving work-family balance for shift workers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions impacted the centre\u2019s research activities, but Prof. Dioko is now leading the process of restarting key projects, including its long-running annual \u2018tourism carrying capacity\u2019 study. Such type of study seeks to estimate the optimum number of people that can visit a tourist destination simultaneously without causing deterioration of the physical, economic, and socio-cultural environment and an unacceptable decrease in the quality of visitors’ satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpikes in visitation can cause a lot of impact in the local community,\u201d Prof. Dioko says. “So, this is what we\u2019re doing at the moment \u2013 monitoring, with greater intensity, the impact on the quality of life of residents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Macao\u2019s tourism industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic, officials are working to change the profile of the city\u2019s source markets and increase length of visitor stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of our source markets has always been the day trippers from nearby locations,\u201d says Prof. Dioko. \u201cBut we have, in the past, recommended much more focus, for example, on meetings and conventions, because one of the challenges of Macao tourism has always been to increase the length of stay [of visitors].”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds: \u201cSomeone attending a conference in Macao for three or four days, that will ultimately move the needle of the length of stay, for example. Some other examples of these are medical tourism and even sports tourism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UTM is also collaborating with partners in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, such as Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, on destination branding and visitor mobility studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust before COVID, we did a research project on how you brand the Greater Bay Area as a destination, because you’ve got 11 cities competing,\u201d Prof. Dioko says. \u201cDo you subsume the Macao brand under this overall Greater Bay Area brand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, the UTM researchers are examining mobility patterns of visitors within the Greater Bay Area, using innovative technology in order to better understand congestion and crowding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working together with Sun Yat-sen University on this,\u201d Prof. Dioko says. \u201cThat helps us [Macao] with congestion and crowding. Macao\u2019s problem has always been sudden surges of visitors, which are very hard to plan for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor: UTM Public Relations Team<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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