Tour begins with Singapore leg
Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai began an eight-day Southeast Asian tour on Saturday, with stops in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The visit aims to promote investment, business opportunities, and tourism in Macau and the nearby Hengqin area, according to Macau Business.
Before departing for Singapore, Sam told reporters: "During this visit, we will promote the opportunities brought by the integrated development of Macau and Hengqin with the aim of attracting foreign direct investment."
The Singapore leg is an official three-day visit that runs until Monday, at the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. This is Sam's first official visit to Singapore since he took office on December 20, 2024.
During his time in Singapore, Sam will call on Prime Minister Wong and attend a breakfast hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, as well as a lunch hosted by Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, AsiaOne reported.
Economic and tourism focus
Sam said Singapore has accumulated valuable experience in finance, technology industries, and the health sector, offering an important reference for Macau's "1+4" diversification strategy. The "1+4" model is the government's framework aimed at strengthening integrated tourism while developing Big Health, modern finance, high technology, and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), according to Macau Business.
The Macao Government Information Bureau said in a press release on Friday that the visit aims to strengthen Macao's ties with Southeast Asian countries and promote practical cooperation across multiple sectors, as reported by AsiaOne.
In Singapore, Sam will study best practices in industrial parks, tourism development, urban renewal, and the Housing and Development Board's public housing programme, and will deliver a speech at the National University of Singapore, the bureau said.
High-level meetings and delegation
In Kuala Lumpur, Sam is scheduled to meet with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. In Jakarta, he will meet with Indonesia's Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, according to Macau Business.
The delegation includes Sam's wife, Wong Ho Peng, Secretary for Economy and Finance Ng Wai Han (also referred to as Dora Ng), and senior officials from the Macao administration, as well as business leaders from Macau, Hengqin, and mainland China.
Macau's Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) is organising a 120-member business delegation, comprising government officials and business representatives across sectors including Big Health, biomedicine, technology, finance, MICE, cultural tourism, and professional services. Enterprises specialising in Big Health and technology account for nearly 60 per cent of participating businesses, Macau Business reported. Macau's six gaming and integrated resort operators will also join the delegation for promotional activities.
The MSAR Government will organise official receptions and economic, trade, tourism, and investment promotional sessions in Singapore, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur. IPIM and the Macao Government Tourism Office will host joint presentation seminars in Singapore on August 31, Jakarta on September 1, and Kuala Lumpur on September 3.
Visitor market context
Official figures from the first half of 2026 show that Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore rank among the top 10 visitor source markets for Macau. Indonesia was the fourth largest market with 87,907 tourists, followed by Malaysia with 86,701, and Singapore ranking eighth with 48,091 arrivals, according to Macau Business.
During Sam's absence, Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak will act as Chief Executive, Macau Business reported.