Sands China and Trip.com Group Jointly Stage Annual Gourmet Event
The annual gastronomic event showcases Macao as a designated
Creative City of Gastronomy
(Macao, Jun. 30, 2023) – Sands China Ltd. and Trip.com Group co-hosted the '2023 Trip.com Global Elite Restaurant List' award ceremony and 'Trip.com Group Gourmet Gala Dinner' today. The events showcase the excellence of Macao's food and beverage sector and its appeal as a UNESCO-designated 'Creative City of Gastronomy'. It is also a platform for exchange between industry representatives from Macao, Mainland China and overseas cities.
Sands China is committed to enriching Macao's tourism sector and implementing the Macao SAR Government's development strategy of '1+4' diversification. By deepening the 'tourism + gastronomy' cross-sector integration, Sands China continues to promote gastronomy as a calling card of Macao and its contribution to the city's development into a world centre of tourism and leisure.
The '2023 Trip.com Global Elite Restaurant List' was kicked off by Cheng Wai Tong, deputy director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO); Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; and Jane Sun, chief executive officer of Trip.com Group. Held at The Parisian Theatre at The Parisian Macao, the ceremony was followed by a series of highlight activities, including an interactive exhibition and roundtable networking sessions to further consolidate Macao's status as a gastronomic destination.
Cheng said, "Since becoming a UNESCO-designated Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017, Macao has been proactively pursuing sustainable development through organising and supporting different types of events. MGTO will continue to implement the development strategy of 1+4 adequate diversification, deepen the tourism+ cross-sector integration, and strengthen cooperation with the industry to leverage Macao's international image as a Creative City of Gastronomy, further enhance its attractiveness as a tourism destination and expand tourism source markets."
Dr. Wong said, "We are delighted to join hands with Trip.com Group, our long-term strategic partner, to host the 2023 Trip.com Global Elite Restaurant List events in Macao for the third consecutive year. With the strong recovery of outbound travel from Mainland China, Macao remains a popular destination and is experiencing very encouraging visitor arrivals. Sands China, as a world-class integrated tourism and leisure operator that has been rooted in Macao for 20 years, is committed to creating the best products and travel experiences for our guests. In the dining sector, we aim to invest in opening premium restaurants and creating memorable dining experiences. In the future, we will continue to bring more gastronomic delights to our guests and continue to contribute to solidifying Macao' image as a Creative City of Gastronomy."
Sun said, "With Trip.com Gourmet events, we hope to meet travellers' increasing demand for more authentic and truly local culinary experiences, and attract tourists to more cities."
The highly anticipated '2023 Trip.com Global Elite Restaurant List' covers 100 cities in 25 countries, with 67 cities in China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) and 33 cities overseas to promote the development of food and cultural tourism and cross-border exchange. Restaurants are judged by a panel of hotel caterers, industry representatives, dining association members, food critics, travel experts and Trip.com users on the basis of food, service, ambience, heritage and innovation and local characteristics. Selected restaurants are awarded in five categories: Black Diamond, Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver. A total of 18 restaurants under Sands China Ltd.'s properties are on the list, of which six won platinum and above ratings, namely: The Huaiyang Garden, Pin Yue Xuan, Jiang Nan by Jereme Leung, La Chine, Zi Yat Heen, and The Manor. Sands China Ltd. is ranked first in Macao for the number of restaurants on the list.
This evening the 'Trip.com Group Gourmet Gala Dinner' was held at The Londoner Macao's Turfan Ballroom. Curated by six chefs of Sands Resorts Macao's signature restaurants, including The Huaiyang Garden, Pin Yue Xuan, Jiang Nan by Jereme Leung, Hiro by Hiroshi Kagata, The Mews and Chiado, the dinner will feature a sumptuous feast of Chinese and international flavours.
In addition, the gourmet events were held to coincide with the 11th Macao International Travel Expo (MITE), for travel industry professionals and gastronomic connoisseurs. During MITE Trip.com debuted a new page on its app, 'MITE x Gourmet', which displays a variety of Macao tourism products including dining, hotel accommodation and travel notes to foster gastronomic cultural exchange and experiences in line with 'tourism + gastronomy'.
