Monday, May 12, 2025
Sands China Ltd. has teamed up with the Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park Development Co. Ltd. (GMTCM) to revolutionize the Big Health tourism industry across Macao and Hengqin. The two companies solidified their partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
This collaboration seeks to combine the strengths of both regions, capitalizing on Macao’s status as a premier global tourism hub and Hengqin’s growing prominence in the healthcare and wellness sectors. By integrating tourism with the burgeoning Big Health industry, Sands China and GMTCM aim to unlock new growth opportunities and attract global investment, enhancing both regions’ economic futures.
Macao’s rich heritage as a fusion of Eastern and Western cultures provides a fertile foundation for this partnership, which is further strengthened by the region’s prime location in the Greater Bay Area. With its unparalleled tourism infrastructure and world-class facilities, Macao is perfectly poised to play a leading role in the integration of health and tourism. Hengqin, in turn, offers a burgeoning ecosystem for health innovation, creating an ideal environment for the two sectors to converge.
Through this alliance, both organizations aim to promote regional collaboration, fostering the global expansion of health and wellness brands from Macao and Hengqin. The MOU also supports Macao’s broader economic diversification goals, aligning with the city’s “1+4” strategy, which encourages the development of multiple sectors alongside gaming.
In addition, the partnership will focus on simplifying cross-border initiatives, capitalizing on the seamless connectivity between Macao and Hengqin. The goal is to establish a robust framework for the growth of Big Health tourism, ultimately enhancing the international competitiveness of both regions while driving sustainable economic development.
Grant Chum, chief executive officer and executive director of Sands China Ltd., said: “Rooted in Macao, which we have called home for more than two decades, Sands China is honoured to be the first among Macao’s integrated resort operators to sign an MOU with GMTCM. We have actively participated in this high-level collaboration, aiming to apply our strengths and value to enhance the city’s pivotal role as a world centre of tourism and leisure and a gateway for cultural exchange between East and West – deepening Macao’s integration into national development. Given that the global health tourism industry holds significant growth potential and a vast market scale, we hope to connect our tourism sector with Big Health by utilising resources within integrated resorts, organising conferences and exhibitions, and introducing health tourism products to make Macao a player in this emerging industry. In the future, we will collaborate with GMTCM to establish an industrial chain for the health tourism industry, promoting Macao and Hengqin as premier destinations in this regard.”
Wu Song, chairman of Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd., said: “This collaboration marks the official launch of in-depth cooperation between the two parties in the field of Big Health and tourism, carrying profound significance for advancing the cross-sector integration of Macao and Hengqin’s ‘tourism+’ initiatives. Since China Taiping officially took over the operation of the industrial park in January 2023, significant achievements have been made with the enthusiastic support of relevant central ministries, the Macao SAR government, and various sectors of society.
“This joint effort is a concrete measure in response to the Macao SAR government’s 2025 Policy Address to support key industrial projects in Macao and Hengqin, as well as deepening the cross-sector integration of ‘tourism+’. The industrial park and Sands China have vast potential for collaboration in areas such as product development, service innovation, and market expansion. The partnership will inject new momentum into Macao’s moderate economic diversification and the construction of the Greater Bay Area’s Traditional Chinese Medicine hub, together writing a new chapter in the great practice of One Country, Two Systems.”
Sands China and Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park Development Co. Ltd. (GMTCM) are exploring potential collaborative initiatives to drive the growth of Big Health tourism in Macao and Hengqin. Key projects include the organization of Big Health MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events, utilizing their venue resources and professional platforms. These events, such as professional forums, industrial exhibitions, and international conferences, aim to foster stronger exchanges and cooperation between the two regions, advancing the development of the medical, healthcare, and wellness industries.
In addition to these MICE events, the collaboration may introduce new Big Health tourism facilities and products within Sands China’s integrated resorts and GMTCM Park. These will focus on providing premium health management and medical care services, catering to both tourists and residents of Macao and Hengqin, further positioning the regions as global wellness destinations.
The MOU signing ceremony on Friday was attended by prominent figures, including Tai Kin Ip, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR and deputy director of the executive committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; Yang Quanzhou, deputy director of the Economic Affairs Department of the Central Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Yang Minggang, deputy general manager of China Taiping Insurance Group Limited; Wu Song; Zhang Haihong, acting president of the board of Macao Investment and Development Co., Ltd. and chairman of the supervisory committee of GMTCM; Grant Chum; and Dave Sun, executive vice president and CFO of Sands China Ltd. and managing director of Venetian Macau Limited.
GMTCM Park, a pioneering project under the Framework Agreement on Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, was officially established in April 2011 in Hengqin’s northwest high-tech zone. Covering 500,000 square meters, the park has attracted a total investment of 8 billion RMB, which has been directed towards the development of office buildings, research and development facilities, hotels, commercial spaces, museums, pharmaceutical factories, testing centers, TCM laboratories, and residential areas for experts. By March, 235 enterprises had registered at the park, including 89 from Macao, spanning industries such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, cosmetics, health products, medical devices, biomedicine, and medical services. The park also houses an incubation base for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) pilot-scale production, R&D, and testing, adhering to the high certification standards of mainland China and providing a professional platform that meets international standards.
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