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In a bid to provide timely and effective assistance to
both Macau residents travelling outside the territory and inbound
visitors to Macau in cases of emergency or distress, the Macau
government has expanded the competence and scope of its tourism crisis
management agency.
The Outbound Tourism Crisis Management Office
was renamed the Tourism Crisis Management Office in February with
an enlarged remit and structure. The new agency is charged with
the major duty to implement immediate and effective measures to
help Macau residents travelling outside the territory and inbound
visitors to Macau who are involved in serious accidents or
disasters.
Headed by the Secretary for Social Affairs and
Culture, the Tourism Crisis Management Office consists of one
coordinator and 28 members from 25 government departments, public
agencies and organisations.
The office is divided into seven
expert groups respectively responsible for: official
liaison; travel industry liaison; emergency support,
operation and logistics; family liaison; media
communication; administration; and the secretariat.
The office provides a 24-hour hotline
catering to Cantonese, Putonghua, Portuguese, English
and Japanese speakers. Any Macau resident travelling
outside the territory or inbound visitor to Macau may
call (853) 2833 3000 for enquiry or help.
In case of an emergency, the
coordinator may also open a special hotline depending on the
actual circumstances to deal with enquiries from residents or the
affected parties.
The responsibilities of the office
include:
- To minimise the impact of travel emergencies on
the tourism industry, outbound residents and inbound visitors;
- To take charge of a crisis and offer necessary assistance
to affected outbound residents and inbound visitors;
- To
ensure collaboration and information exchange with regional and
international official organisations as well as Macau’s tourism
representatives abroad;
- To deal with other emergency
cases that are assigned to it or that demands immediate action;
and
- To manage the information flow to the media and the
public regarding the handling of an emergency in order to
safeguard the image of the Macau SAR Government and Macau’s brand
as a tourist destination.
If a Macau resident encounters a
serious accident or disaster during his travel outside the
territory, the office will take immediate measures
to offer assistance and cope with the situation. It will also
arrange the return of the affected person to Macau.
As for
inbound visitors who are in distress, the office will also offer
assistance and coordinate in sending the affected visitor back
home.
Upon activating the crisis management mechanism, the
office will take into account the following:
- The safety
of outbound residents;
- The post-crisis coordination
relating to inbound visitors;
- The impact of the crisis on
Macau’s brand as a tourist destination; and
- The impact of
the crisis on the local tourism industry.
The office’s
crisis management mechanism was activated last year when Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok was closed for
consecutive days by
yellow-shirted protestors, stranding hundreds of thousands of
innocent travellers.
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