The Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO) launched a multi-destination tourism promotion at a trade fair in Xiamen, eastern China's Fujian Province Tuesday.

The multi-destination program integrates tourism in Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan to attract more mainland travelers, said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, deputy director of the MGTO, at the 5th Cross-Strait Travel Fair Tuesday.

The Macao SAR government would subsidize at least 80 yuan (11.7 U.S. dollars) per day to each mainland traveler via travel agencies in this promotion in a bid to boost tourism amid the sluggish tourism market, she said.

Macao's tourism revenue fell 12 percent in the first seven months year on year as the global credit crunch and the A/H1N1 flu took its toll on the tourism market, she said.

There were signs of recovery in August and the market prospect in the second half of 2009 was optimistic, she said.

The 5th Cross-Strait Travel Fair is slated to run from Sept. 6 to 11 in Xiamen and has attracted about 2,000 people from travel companies and associations.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2009)