Macau, China, Dec. 4, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT) has once again chosen Macau as the association's Preferred Destination for 2026, which will strengthen the partnership.
"Macau and APAVT have decided that they should not stop. That is why I am very happy to announce that Macau and APAVT have decided that Macau will be APAVT's preferred international destination throughout 2026," said APAVT President Pedro Costa Ferreira in the territory.
The 50th APAVT National Congress, which has been taking place in Macau since Tuesday, ends on Thursday and was attended by more than a thousand professionals, a record number, to discuss the future of the tourism sector.
Macau hosted for the sixth time what is considered the largest congress in the national tourism sector.
"I couldn't be happier. You know this is my last term of office. I am fulfilling a dream of returning to Macau and working with Macau again. (...) In my opinion, the Congress has been memorable in terms of the topics discussed, but it has also been memorable in terms of numbers, as it is the largest ever, and it has been memorable in terms of its capacity to welcome people," said Pedro Costa Ferreira.
APAVT's Preferred Destination is a "very broad" programme, which has two fundamental parts, communication and marketing, and which thus helps the chosen destination to promote itself.
"It means that wherever we go, we will have Macau with us and, therefore, we have that communication," added the association's president, noting that this reinforces a relationship of many years.
"The return of the Congress to our city this year and the designation of Macao, alongside China, as the Preferred Destination for 2026, pave the way for us to continue working well," said the director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.
The main new feature of the Preferred Destination in 2026 will be the launch of an e-learning programme on Macao for travel agents in Germany, Finland and the Netherlands, similar to the programme launched in Portugal in 2024.
The e-learning programme will be developed by APAVT and Macao Tourism, in collaboration with the European Confederation of Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations (ECTAA).
Pedro Costa Ferreira also pointed out that this congress has several "special meanings", firstly "because it is the sixth" in Macao and because it was chosen "to end the celebration of the association's 75th anniversary".
APAVT says it has registered 1,039 delegates from 172 different flights, who "will now visit various provinces in China in collaboration with Macao Tourism".
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