Sands China said Macau’s tourism diversification efforts could advance “to a new level” over the next five to 10 years, with meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE), large-scale entertainment events and integrated non-gaming tourism offerings expected to play a growing role in the city’s development.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of G2E Asia 2026 on Tuesday at The Venetian Macao, Sands China chief executive officer and executive director Grant Chum said future growth would depend on deeper integration between tourism offerings, continued innovation and cooperation between operators, government and local stakeholders.
“We should be able to advance diversification to a new level over the next 5 to 10 years,” Chum said during his keynote speech at the annual gaming industry trade event.
Chum said Macau’s diversification progress over the past two decades had been supported by political stability, rising regional demand and the concentration of integrated resorts in Cotai.
“What were the main ingredients for Macau’s success in this diversification?” he said. “I would suggest three key factors: political stability, the demand potential, and the unmatched supply of resort product here.”
The executive also highlighted the role of MICE and large-scale events in attracting international visitors and extending visitor stays.
As an example, Chum cited a regional technology conference held in Macau during the first quarter of 2026 that attracted more than 6,000 delegates, around 80 percent of whom came from outside Greater China. According to Chum, attendees stayed an average of 3.1 nights, compared with Macau’s typical hotel stay of 1.8 nights.
Chum also pointed to the NBA China Games held in Macau in October 2025 as an example of how large-scale events can broaden Macau’s tourism exposure. Sands China said the event generated around 3 billion online impressions across mainland Chinese social media platforms and included about 100 related activities across its integrated resort properties and community venues.
