At the celebrations marking the 5th Anniversary of the handover of Macau, the Chinese President was full of praise for the city whilst highly critical of Hong Kong. “(Hong Kong) officials must turn back and look over the past seven years and find out what has gone wrong” he is quoted as saying.

The strength of the Chinese President’s criticism may have been unfair, and perhaps premature, as the sister cities are very different. Hong Kong has had seven years of highs and lows whilst Macau has boomed since the introduction of Las Vegas style casinos. Both cities host millions of tourists each year but Hong Kong was badly affected by last year’s Sars epidemic. So far Macau has had a smooth ride politically, whereas Hong Kong’s citizens are likely to protest about issues that affect the public.

Macau may soon find that it will face similar public outcry. Living costs are rising fast but wages remain very low, a recipe for civil unrest. Hong Kong is recovering from an economic downturn and remains the region’s financial centre, and as such serves the wealthiest mainland city of Shenzhen. Macau is now attempting to diversify its tourist industry by attracting the conference trade and placing more emphasis on its cultural aspects, whilst Hong Kong is contemplating opening its own casino on Lantau Island.

16 million tourists, mostly gamblers, visited Macau this year and hotel construction is trying to keep pace. On 23 December the city’s newest gaming venue will open on Taipa Island, the Greek Mythology Casino at New Century Hotel. Last May the Sands Macau’s first day saw 35,000 people through the doors and 50,000 are being predicted for the Greek Mythology opening. There are 228 tables in the first stage of the development, phase two will add another 272 tables in time for the Chinese New Year, and the third phase will expand the gaming floor to house 500 more tables.

The Greek Mythology functions under a concession from Sociedade de Jogos de Macau S.A.(SJM), a company that accounts for 80% of total gaming revenues in Macau. Free entertainment for visitors to the casino will cost over half a million dollars a month, with a Moulin Rouge showgirl routine staged three time a day. The project for the themed casino started six months ago and workers were adding the finishing touches to the last minute. A large fountain with Poseidon and winged Pegasuses is at the hotel’s entrance.

The Hotel Golden Dragon is the next project scheduled to open in Macau. Close to the Hong Kong ferry terminal, the casino will be carnival-themed with six VIP rooms decorated to convey the festivals in Rio, Trinidad, Venice, New Orleans, Paris and China. There are plenty more ambitious developments in the pipeline, including Wynn’s and Venetian. The Macau boom is far from over but there may be the odd cloud on the horizon.

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