TravelRave: Cross-pollination of new & innovative TRAVEL ideas!

Asian travel leadership takes centre stage as top Indian travel leaders gather at India Travel Forum to share valuable insights on online trends and issues key to the travel and tourism industry in Mumbai, August 27, 2013

media round table – stuart crighton – cleartrip, rajeev wagle – kuoni india, neeta lachmandas, assistant chief executive of the singapore tourism board, mr mohit gupta – makemytrip and madhavan menon

The fourth edition of TravelRave, Asia’s most influential travel and tourism festival, returns from 21 to 25 October 2013 in Singapore, with eight quality events across related sectors from hospitality and tourism investment, to technology and aviation. The latest addition to the TravelRave calendar includes the inaugural Union of International Associations (UIA) Associations Round Table Asia which will showcase a curated programme for an international audience with a focus on the Asian associations’ perspective.

For the travel and tourism industry, the focus is on Asia as a rapidly growing region that is progressively reshaping the global tourism landscape. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the combined GDP of China and India is projected to exceed that of the G7 countries by 2025 while two out of every five travellers are expected to be Asian and will account for nearly half of global tourism expenditure by 2020. According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), international visitor arrivals to the Asia Pacific region registered the strongest growth worldwide – a year-on-year increase of six per cent over the first four months of 2013.

Few pointers to the insights on travel industry provided by panellists:

1. Asia Pacific Region to grow phenomenally
2. According to STB – In 2012 every 2 travellers out of 5 was from Asia
3. Half of the travel is by Asians
4. Significant rise of middle-class/ affluent customers
5. In 2012 India welcomed 7 million tourists
6. 90% growth recorded in domestic travel
7. India is tenth largest country business generating market of the world
8. Indian Consumer looks for value, shopping and cleanliness
9. Indian consumers are undertaking more and more Online search
10. Large percentage still believes brick & mortar is still better
11. First time traveller needs lot of hand holding
12. Youngsters do lot of Online search and want to explore more
13. 22% domestic aviation industry going Online
14. Consumers are exploring multiple media
15. Need to build on experience on transaction delivery
16. New destinations like Laddakh & Spain are being looked at
17. Growth coming not only from Metros but also from tier II & III cities
18. Increase in individual travel and decrease in group travel
19. One-third of Asia’s growth coming from India
20. Customers using functionality and looking for price to value proposition
21. 30% search happening on Apps
22. India offers inherent potential for leisure travel.

With a strong line-up of events featuring relevant Asia-focused content taking place throughout the week, TravelRave serves as an integrated platform that provides attendees access to valuable insights and best practices in the region. By gathering industry professionals and business leaders from the entire spectrum of the Asian travel and tourism industry, TravelRave generates strategic networking and business opportunities while setting the stage for potential collaboration on important areas of growth.

“Since the launch of TravelRave in 2010, we have witnessed thought-provoking discussions among Asia’s travel leaders from diverse backgrounds on the future of the travel and tourism industry,” comments Ms Neeta Lachmandas, Assistant Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). “Such platforms add to the breadth and depth of accessible content, while providing channels of active dialogue among the industry. This enables the cross-pollination of new and innovative ideas which has resulted in collaboration to look into issues such as talent and leadership development in Asia. We are happy to stage the India Travel Forum ahead of TravelRave, gathering thought leaders in the industry to share valuable business and consumer insights on the Indian market.”

Don’t miss extreme Snowdonia in Wales on a Luxury Adrenalin Adventure

Snowdonia in North Wales, is one of the UK’s most popular destinations for hiking and outdoor holidays. But there’s more to this region than craters and crags. It’s blessed with some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in Wales, on the Llŷn Peninsula and Cambrian Coastline. And its reputation for fine dining using Welsh meat, fish and cheese is growing all the time.

Here you can explore above and below ground with this unique adrenalin-fuelled break in Snowdonia National Park in Wales including 3 nights’ luxury accommodation with Snowdonia Shepherds’ Huts, as well as a Tree Top Adventure one day and underground exploration the next. Go back to the warmth and comfort of your shepherds’ huts after a thrilling day and soothe your body and your nerves in their wood-burning sauna, ready for more adventure the next day.

If planning a trip there, on your first day you’ll take an underground journey through the mountain with an experienced guide from Go Below Underground Adventures. As you explore the awe inspiring environment of an abandoned mine you’ll encounter forgotten deep blue lakes, lofty caverns and ancient mining machinery lying abandoned in the darkness. You’ll cross zip lines and traverses, climb rock faces and waterfalls, boat across water and abseil off ledges for that thrilling adrenalin rush that’ll leave you feeling totally exhilarated!
After spending the evening with your feet up by the fire, reliving the best bits of your day, you’ll get a good night’s sleep ready for the next day of adrenalin fuelled adventure – this time high above ground with Tree Top Adventures!

Firstly try out the Adventurers’ Course, a 90 minute tree top obstacle course, where you will swing, step, balance and fly around various obstacles in the heights of the woodlands. You finish the course with a small (48ft) PowerFan parachute simulator jump.

All this before facing two extreme challenges – the Sky Ride & the Powerfan Plummet – the worlds’ highest PowerFan parachute simulator! SO if your nerves are still intact, it’s time to scale Tree Top Tower to a knee quaking 100 feet to reach the PowerFan’s jump platform. Standing with heart pounding and knees quaking our fully qualified instructors do the final checks before your spectacular descent on the jaw dropping PowerFan Plummet. The revolutionary new technology ensures a featherlight landing!

gobelow

TT Adventurer’s course

Shepherds’ huts

Then it’s onto the Sky Ride, Europe’s highest and first 5 seater Giant Swing will leave you truly breathless as you are hoisted over 80 feet high into the air then released to swing out over the magnificent Conwy Valley.

This unique break is available throughout November and December (until 20th December) at a special price of just £189 per person, for 3 nights’ accommodation including activities, based on two people sharing.

Designed and built by owners Richard and Hazel Barclay, Snowdonia Shepherds’ Huts were set up in 2012.. The huts have been lovingly crafted and beautifully cared for and are full of charm. The two huts are exclusively yours for your holiday and include a comfortable sofa that pulls down at night to make a double bed with a lambs’ wool mattress, luxurious feather duvet and pillows, and a traditional Welsh blanket in one hut with a luxurious Welsh Mountain sheepskin rug on the floor, a wood burning stove for chillier nights, a dresser and a small table and chairs. In the other hut you’ll find a toilet, shower and wash basin. And, if all of that’s not enough, it also has a wood-burning sauna so you can relax after fantastic days out, walking, mountain biking and exploring in spectacular North Wales.

Go Below Underground Adventures

Go Below was also founded by a husband and wife team – Miles and Jen Moulding – in 2010 allowing Miles to indulge his passion for mine exploration on a professional level. Whatever the weather, all year round, the Underground Challenge is a guided half-day (approx 5 hours) experience intended for those looking for a unique adventure activity which is sporty, physical and fun. No experience is necessary and all safety equipment is provided. You won’t have to squeeze through tight spaces and although you might get splashed, you won’t be immersed in water – unless you want to be!

Tree Top Adventure

Founded by ex Royal Marine, Sean Taylor, Tree Top Adventure is a unique, fully equipped high ropes centre available to a wide range of customers. The adventure started in May 2007 where Tree Top Adventure was running out of a porta-cabin. Things are a little different now as Tree Top Adventure has and still is growing in size and adventure, offering a fuller range of activities to a wider range of people. In the summer of 2008 Tree Top Adventure opened its doors to the Tree Top Tower. The highest (100ft) Powerfan Plummet in the world.

You can visit the links below for detailed information:

http://www.snowdoniashepherdshuts.co.uk
http://www.ttadventure.co.uk
http://www.go-below.co.uk

Singapore nightlife – Where sleep is last thing on your mind!

Singapore is famously known for its nightlife, there is so much to explore with respect to wining, dining, music, shopping, sight-seeing…it almost looks like that city never sleeps. If you are a night animal, then Singapore is a place to be on your itinerary. Pubbing and clubbing at Singapore is a must if you want to feel the night-pulse of the city; experience the city only by day and you get just half of the picture.

Besides music and entertainment, food and dining also make up the Singapore nightlife scene. There are many eateries that stay open till late, offering a variety of sumptuous food. Whether you are looking for a late snack or replenishing your energy after a night of partying, there’s a lot available to whet your appetite. With such a wide variety of offerings, sleep will be the last thing on your mind.

After hours, Singapore practically transforms itself from an ever-so-efficient business hub to a buzzing network of bars and nightclubs. Busy executives loosen their ties and kick up their heels to the sound of jazz swingin ‘at Harry’s Bar along Boat Quay, and earnest students-by-day let down their hair for some laid-back bar-hopping at famous Mohammed Sultan Road.

The most famous cocktail in town is served in the Long Bar of Raffles Hotel, and is a must-do for anyone visiting the city. This old-fashioned bar is up a set of stairs in the hotel and is packed every night with people enjoying the fruity concoction with a handful of monkey nuts. The hotel is very easy to find, located only a few minutes’ walk from City Hall MRT.

Emerald Hill, a tucked-away strip flanked by elegant Perenakan row houses, is where to go for atmospheric pubs and bars with chilled-out alfresco lounges and strong, tasty cocktails. Up the road, Orchard Towers has four floors full of girlie bars and clubs with live music and dance shows – imagine an entire red-light zone housed in one building. For a touch of sophistication, try Brix at the luxurious Grand Hyatt, Marriott’s Bar None, Irish pub Muddy Murphy’s at the basement of Orchard Hotel or Indochine at Wisma Atria.arke Quay is the long-established epicentre, others are equally exhilarating.

Zouk – This hugely popular club, which has been compared with some of the best in Europe, plays mainly House music to a mostly young crowd. Zouk’s music is spun by its seven resident DJs, while regular live acts from visiting artistes – such as Galliano, Chemical Brothers, Heart and Kylie Minogue are an added draw. Wednesday is Mambo Jambo night, when the club shakes off its techno garb and plays a mix of 70s to 90s pop.
For those with an aversion to heavy Techno, the Zouk establishment also houses Velvet Underground, where the crowd is slightly older and the music is mainly Soul and Garage. The mood here is sophisticated and futuristic: the walls are adorned in velvet and hung with original modern art works, and the furniture has a Bauhaus feel.
Adjoining the Zouk main building is Phuture, where the music is a more eclectic mixture of Trip Hop, Drum ‘n’ Bass and Down Tempo. The décor is a futuristic, space-agey blend of steel, liquids-in-glass-vials and state-of-the-art lighting. As the real action at Zouk and its sister discos doesn’t begin until midnight, the popular place to hang out in the meantime between dinner and dance is Zouk Wine Bar. This stylish bar is a great place for people-watching.

This and much more on Singapore’s night life!<

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) which is the country’s leading economic development agency in tourism, is doing some great work towards promoting tourism worldwide. sectors. Known for forging partnerships, driving innovation and ensuring excellence, the Board champions tourism and builds it into a key economic driver for Singapore. Together with its tourism promotion functions, it also fulfils a much broader economic development role for the tourism sector.

STB aims to ensure that tourism remains a key economic pillar through long-term strategic planning in partnership with the public and private sector stakeholders. STB’s goal is to create exciting and innovative experiences for our visitors, in close partnership with the trade industry, thus etching forever in visitors’ minds an image of Singapore as a unique and compelling destination. To do so, STB has identified three key areas of focus – strengthening Singapore’s position as a Leading Convention and Exhibition City in Asia, developing Singapore as a leading Asian leisure destination, and establishing Singapore as the Services Centre of Asia.

Watch this space for more updates.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 celebrated with Elan in Mumbai

Flagging off the event on her brief visit to Mumbai for the launch of “Tum Mile’ music album, Dr Ng Yen Yen said, “ The launch of visit Malaysia year – 2014 Tourism Bollywood Album is aptly timed and important because Visit Malaysia Year -2014 is a mere 6 months away. This album will create unique interest in Malaysia, within our Indian tourists who are already exploring Malaysia as the ideal destination for family holidays, luxury vacations, spa holidays, eco tourism adventures and honeymoon among others.”

Occasion was marked by the launch of “Tum mile” Music Album, aimed towards amalgamating Bollywood Music and Malaysia’s Might as “the” tourist destination – No wonder we have the slogan – Malaysia truly Asia!.
Welcoming this initiative as a strong step towards building Indo-Malaysian relationship, Dr. Ng Yen Yen, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia said, “ Bollywood songs, super stars and movies are a household name in Malaysia and command an extremely high following even amongst non hindi population. And now this beautiful composition by two prominent individuals, one from Malaysia, and other from India, it is our hope that the album Tum Mile will further bridge our two nations together – through Music, through tourism!

This unique association speaks of the growing harmony between India and Malaysia, and about partnerships being explored beyond tourism and business. As Malaysia becomes the destination of choice for a growing percentage of Indians, “Tum Mile” serves as perfect platform to enhance the emotional connect of the Indian audiences with Malaysia.

The one-of-its kind celebration of Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014) compliments is growing interests amongst Indian tourists who visit Malaysia for shopping, theme parks, beaches and islands. There is a significant rise in number of tourists, who are not only coming to Malaysia for traditional tourism destinations and shopping but they are coming to Malaysia to celebrate important occasions like wedding and honeymoons..

Mr Manoharan Periasamy, Director, Malaysia Tourism, Mumbai and Mr. Zulkifli Mohammed, Deputy Director, Malaysia Tourism are shouldering the resposiblity of making Visit Malaysia 2014 a grand success. They also shared the dias on the occasion of road show in Mumbai.

The soulful rendition by Toh Puan Noor Suzanna Abdullah, member of Royal family of Kedah along with Bollywood singer Kumar Sanu, it was indeed a delight to the soul. Owner of dynamic voice and magnetic personality, she is a rare combination of beauty and voice. A big fan of Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar, Suzanna’s loves to sing sentimental songs as these suits her voice best. Not only this Noor Suzanna is the Vice Deputy Chairman of the Nautral Disaster Organisational of Kedah (PBANK) where Sultan of Kedah is the patron.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Ng Yen Yen said, “Tourism is the Prime Minister’s key area and tourism contributes to the tune of 8% of GDP. This year’s target is to attract 26 million tourists from India and next year when we celebrate visit Malaysia year, the target would be 28 million tourists from India. We have segmented tourism into four parts: Luxury Tourism, Wild Life Tourism/ Adventure Tourism, weddings and honeymoons and Conferences and Meetings.”

However, “Bollywood needs not promotion in Malaysia. It is already a hot property amongst Malaysians and what to say of Bollywod music, it is the best,” she added.

“Though many films have been shot in Malaysia say Don, Don2 and Malaysia is a very popular destination amongst Bollywood, still lot of synergy can be drawn between Bollywood’s film craft and Malaysia’s infrastructure. We are positioning Malaysia as film producing nation and as a special course we are offering 30% rebate to production houses coming to Malaysia for film making. There are special arrangements in place for immigration, customs, police and all other ground arrangements. Plans are on board to make is a truly pleasurable experience for them, ” She further added.

Wales celebrates Come September!

We are in the Mid – August and it’s the perfect time to experience and discover Wales its rich and varied heritage. This year the Welsh Government has planned a whole lot of events which caters to people of all genres. Whether you’re a fun seeking family, a chilled out couple, or anything in-between, there are plenty of things to do in Wales during these events. Choose from a slow paced day seeing castles, museums and tasting their wonderful local produce, or get lively with some outdoor activities or even a music festival or a sporting event. Rest assured , you won’t be bored in Wales!!!

Abergaveny-food-festival

Wales offers exhilarating events in the coming months

September 2013

Ironman Wales – 8th September 2013

Pembrokeshire, Wales. The bike course for Ironman Wales is a two loop course totalling 180 kilometres of spectacular coastal views through idyllic towns giving rides over 2,000 metres of altitude difference throughout the course! The first loop is longer, extending west from Lamphey to Angle peninsula and Pembroke, returning through Lamphey before turning north through Carew and Templeton to reach Narberth. From Narberth the course travels south through Saundersfoot to return to Tenby via St Brides Hill. On the second lap, cyclists turn east in Lamphey to repeat the same route through Narberth and Saundersfoot to reach the transition in Tenby.

Roald Dahl Day Portmeirion Festival No. 6 – 13th – 15th September 2013

Portmeirion Village, Gwynedd, North Wales.

The official Roald Dahl Day takes place every year on 13 September, on the birthday of the World’s No. 1 Storyteller. This year’s Roald Dahl Day will see fans from all over the world come together to celebrate this most splendiferous of occasions. The swizzfiggling Big Friendly Giant ( BFG ) is famous for catching, creating and making dreams come true. So this year we’re inviting you to Dream BIG with the BFG.

13th – 15th September 2013

Portmeirion Festival No. 6 – 13th – 15th September 2013

Portmeirion Village, Gwynedd, North Wales. Portmeirion is a unique and magical site, offering nature and eccentricity in equal measures. It perfectly reflects our vision of an intimate boutique music and arts festival, sculpted for those who enjoy life’s finer things. A festival which is a scene but not a herd, which explores and embraces individual expression and offers you the chance to put reality on hold for a few days. Lose yourself in your own fairytale in the iconic setting where ‘The Prisoner’ was filmed.

Glyndwr Day – 16th September 2013
Corwen , Denbighshire ,Wales

It was on September 16, in 1400 that the Welsh rebel leader started his revolt by torching the town of Ruthin. Schools, businesses, and community groups in Corwen and Harlech and other places will celebrate Owain Glyndwr Day tomorrow. There will be red and yellow bunting, balloons, services, dancing and lectures in Corwen as well as the launch of a new community bus service. This special patriotic day will also be celebrated in Harlech with children joining workshops and a torchlight procession and everybody encouraged to dress up for the occasion.

ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL – 21st – 22nd September 2013
Abergavenny , Wales

The festival was founded in 1999, by two local farmers, Chris Wardle and Martin Orbach. Over the years the festival has grown to become one of the leading food events in the UK, attracting visitors from all over the country and from abroad. It has remained true to its founding principles. Brewin Dolphin Ltd is the sponsor of the Abergavenny Food Festival. The event now comprises of Around 220 stalls spread across several indoor sites in the centre of Abergavenny and throughout central streets. Around 50 individually ticketed events: Master Classes, Tutored Tastings, Talks, Forays and Debates – featuring some of the brightest lights of the food world. Children’s Food Academy at The Castle (family-friendly venue) – featuring interactive workshops for all ages inspiring the next generation of chefs. ‘Rude Health’ Speakers Corner: soapbox rants from celebrity guests and food luminaries. Rolling programme of Chef Dems in The Market Hall and in the Fish Market at The Priory Centre featuring the region’s finest Restaurant Tasters at St Michael’s Centre where top chefs and restaurateurs from across Wales cook their signature dishes. Party at The Castle: An evening of wild music and fabulous food – capacity: 1,000.

Tenby Arts Festival – 21 st September 2013
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Tenby is lovingly protected from the outside world by an embrace of 13th-century stone walls, which, ironically, attract—not repel—visitors from all over the world. The town is simply adorable, teeming with the archetypes of pubs and shops one would expect to find in a U.K. city. Theatrical and literary events and Sand Sculpture building on the beach colourful Town Parade exuberantly making its way through the streets of Tenby.

Great British Cheese Festival – 21st – 22nd September 2013
Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Wales

The Great British Cheese Festival has made its home, slap bang in the middle of the beautiful setting of Cardiff Castle. Gather your foodie friends together, and make your way here, to try, taste and buy from the finest selection of Great British cheeses. And with samplings and tastings, masterclasses and demonstrations, you will get a real insight into the subtle art of cheese making.

Porthcawl Elvis Festival – 27th – 29th September 2013

Porthcawl, WalesEvery September thousands of Elvis fans descend on the Welsh seaside town of Porthcawl for a unique celebration of The King. The feature events are the Official Shows taking place in the magnificent Grand Pavilion. These include The Elvies, the World’s leading award Show for Elvis Tribute Artists.In addition, The Hi Tide host over 100 shows over the weekend, many with free admission. Finally, over 20 venues in & around the Town form the Fringe Festival, making Porthcawl the largest Elvis event in Europe.

Traditional pursuits of Sarawak Cultural Village, Malaysia

Plan a family outing or official Incentive outing, it is a great experience, very raw, very original, and very satisfying… particularly if you love tribal life, culture, and scenic rainforests!

Known as the ‘Living Museum’, the Sarawak Cultural Village was set up to preserve and showcase Sarawak’s cultural heritage. Located at Pantai Damai, Santubong, just 32km from the state capital, Caching, Malaysia it is the perfect place to get introduced to local culture and lifestyle.

Sprawled across 17 acres, there are about 150 people living in the village, demonstrating traditional daily activities from Sarawak’s diverse tribes like the processing of sago and the making of handicrafts. They wear traditional costumes and also put on dances for visitors.

The village residents provide information on their various traditional cultures and lifestyles. You can see replicas of buildings that represent every major ethnic group in Sarawak; longhouses of the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu, a Melanau tall-house and a Chinese farm house among others.

The village also has a theatre, where you can enjoy multicultural dance performances. Besides this, there is a restaurant and handicraft shop. You can even get married at the Sarawak Cultural Village, in traditional Iban, Malay, Bidayuh or Orang Ulu style.

The state of Sarawak is famed for its rainforests, wildlife and indigenous tribes, which provides plenty of inspiration for creative activities suited for incentive groups.

The Sarakraf Pavilion in Kuching is a showcase for traditional arts and crafts, where groups of upto 70 people can learn about the local heritage and participate in various challenges. Bead Me Up” has teams attempting some beading techniques used to create Sarawaks’customery decorative accessories. In another challenge, teams are given photograph of tribal costumes, which they use in a race around the centre to search for all of the clothing items and matching accessories required for the costume.

Also at the Sarawak Cultural village is a large outdoor arena that is used for the Annual Rainforest World Music festival. A tribal village can be recreated at the venue, where local delicacies will be served market-style. Guests can participate in popular local games and watch traditional performances, all with rainforest as a back drop. Catering can be provided by venues such as Borneo Convention Centre Kuching and Hilton Kuching which can fit upto 200 guests.

Kuching spans both sides of the Sarawak River, and certain sections of the riverfront are scenic and vibrant areas that can be booked for dinner events. Food stalls featuring local dishes like Sarawak’s own version of laksa can be set up along the area, coupled with local entertainment. Guests can be ferried to the location by the scores of small boats that are there to transport locals from one side to another, which can seat upto 10 people.

Kuching’s Main Bazaar is the place to go for items unique to the region, from beaded jewellery to dark wooden sculptures, woven mats and a local layer cake known as kek lapis. The bazaar comprises one long straight road, making it easy for delegates to navigate by themselves.

Along with Sarawak’s human inhabitants, a population of Orangutans also call the area home. If you want to visit the primates can head to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, a semi natural habitat for injured and orphaned Orangutans.
For more hands on experience, groups of upto 20 can participate in the Hear2Heart with Orangutans initiative at the Matang WildLife Centre in Kubah national park another rehabilitation sanctuary.

Macau – Monte Carlo of Orient attracting family tourists now!

This doesn’t mean that it is losing its tiara of Asia’s Las Vegas, it is stretching itself to brand itself as family tourist destination where the music, entertainment, donkey pop cakes and dragon eggs flying off from the counters and giving kids and adults whale of a time. There is more to it with Churches, Museums, Canals, Shopping and Casinos which have been a big attraction point of Macau.

Macau City View in night

To this day gambling represents the largest portion of Macau’s revenues however there has been an effort to reduce this impact on one industry. The biggest area that they have been focusing on is non-gambling tourism. There are now plenty of people who go to Macau and don’t gamble just as they do in Las Vegas. There have also been attempts to turn the city into a financial center since the laws are quite relaxed when it comes to things like banking and currency controls. Nevertheless it is anticipated that gambling will be the economic mainstay of the city for many years to come.

The city of Macau has gotten the title of Monte Carlo of the Orient in large part because the economy relies so heavily on gambling. Macau is one of the few places in the Far East where gambling is legal, and there is a huge interest in the area in gambling. As a result millions of people every year travel to Macau to gamble.
Although gambling has certainly existed in Macau since the first people arrived in the area thousands of years ago it didn’t officially begin until 1847. In an attempt to increase revenues the local Portuguese authorities began to license gambling houses. These early houses were small time affairs that would come and go fairly quickly. After a while it was realized that the revenues would be higher if things were better organized so 1937 it was decided to give out a monopoly license to one operator to control all of the gambling in the city.
The first monopoly license in Macau really didn’t turn out to be as successful as authorities had hoped as the company that they gave it to really didn’t take advantage of their monopoly as well as they should have.

Therefore in 1962 another company was given monopoly rights over gambling in the city and this was when gambling really took over. People from all over the Far East would travel to Macau as it was one of the few places that they could gamble legally. The monopoly holder built several large casinos that really helped to attract business. As a result gambling quickly came to represent nearly half of the GDP of Macau.

2002 the monopoly on gambling expired and the government chose not to renew it, instead the opened the door to allow other companies to open casinos in the city. As a result many of the companies that operate the big casinos in Las Vegas moved into the city. They opened some of the largest and most spectacular casinos in the world to take advantage of the opportunities that were offered by the newly prosperous Chinese gamblers. As a result Macau is now one of the premier gambling destinations in the world.

Now entertainment is no longer restricted to nights and gambling in casinos. It is opening doors for wholesome entertainment and shows like dancing waters, concerts, industry trade shows and international crossovers are a big draw with family who come to vacation here. But gambling yet rule the roost by contributing 70% to its economy. The casinos here operate round the clock thus its not a great place to catch up on sleep. Not only this you can view Venice with its gondola ride at the opulent Venetian Casino but also Grand Canals, beautiful buildings Venice Style, an artificial sky and Gondolar singing in Italian style. The glittering shops displaying many luxury brands and walk along the canals, window shopping on the maze of the streets add to the great fun.