The Macau government was urged to transform Zona de Aterros do Porto Exterior district, or ZAPE district – home to several satellite casinos – into a new hotspot for nighttime tourism, to mitigate the impact of such casinos ceasing operations at the end of this year.
The government should leverage the area’s nightlife economy and enhance it with leisure dining, pedestrian streets and signature attractions, suggested Wu Tat-chong, president of the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau ZAPE.
Earlier, three gaming operators with satellite casinos announced their decision not to continue operating these venues after the three-year transitional period mandated by law ends this year.
Over the past few days, under government oversight, these operators have been conducting job-matching programs for the 5,600 affected local employees, offering positions in sales, dining, customer service and culinary roles to alleviate job concerns.
But employees of businesses catering to gamblers in ZAPE worried about reduced business and potential layoffs following the closures.
Wu emphasized ongoing close communication with the government. With roughly six months remaining before the satellite casinos shut down, he said he believes that if the government adopts a forward-thinking approach and develops the area into a new commercial hub, the benefits could materialize quickly.
Over the past week, Macau government representatives have visited businesses in the district to assess their needs and introduce upcoming measures aimed at attracting tourists to the area.
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