LettersThe Dutch are saying no to overtourism, but tiny Macau still wants more

The Netherlands, a nation with an area of 41,500 square kilometres, was visited by 18 million tourists in 2018. It is anticipated that tourist arrivals will reach 42 million by 2030. This explosion in tourist numbers is disrupting the daily lives of local residents, while selfie-seekers are damaging attractions. To minimise the inconvenience caused by travellers, the Dutch government has adopted stringent policies to curb the boom in tourism, one of which is to impose a tourist tax.

Macau, which at 32 square kilometres is just a fraction of the size of the Netherlands, drew a record 35.8 million visitors last year. Yet, the government does nothing to stem the continued growth in tourist numbers. The booming gaming industry and prosperous tourism sector do create many job opportunities, but the cost of living has risen simultaneously, which erodes affordability for local residents.

Few people dare raise their voice against government policies. Macau people are used to being submissive to the authorities, which favour the casino tycoons and conglomerates but ignore the quality of life for ordinary people.

In addition to a population of some 670,000, including 190,000 foreign workers, there were an average of nearly 100,000 tourist arrivals in Macau every day last year. These figures contributed greatly to revenues of the city’s extravagant gaming resorts. Thus, policies on tourism can reach extremes, and having 35 million tourists a year may still not meet the government’s expectations. Allocation of tourists to residential areas is a must to receive ever more numbers, especially areas that are close to the border gates. This idea is absurd and irrational, as cross-border visitors are asked to return to the place where they start their journey in Macau, and the overcrowding persists. Worse, the city’s few remaining leisure areas are unavoidably to be exploited as tourist attractions.

This would not be a wise use of these more serene parts of Macau, where people can spend their time in cultivating their minds and enriching their spiritual lives. Leisure is deemed an essential part of life education and dignified living, without which people may become inclined towards only meeting utilitarian needs, with no progress towards refinement.