Sustainable scenarios for Macao to expand its spatial tourism carrying capacity and to re-use heritage sites

Francisco Vizeu Pinheiro; Yim King Penny Wan

doi:10.55092/phess20220006

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Sustainable scenarios for Macao to expand its spatial tourism carrying capacity and to re-use heritage sites

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Francisco Vizeu Pinheiro¹^,∗, Yim King Penny Wan²

¹ St. Joseph University, Macau SAR, China

² Macao Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao SAR, China

* francisco.vizeupinheiro@gmail.com

Volume
Volume 1, 2022
Citation
Pinheiro F, Wan Y. Sustainable scenarios for Macao to expand its spatial tourism carrying capacity and to re-use heritage sites. Proc. Hum. Educ. Soc. Sci. 2022(1):0006, https://doi.org/10.55092/phess20220006.
DOI
10.55092/phess20220006
Copyright
Copyright2022 by the authors. Published by ELSP.

Abstract

Macao is small territory with high density population, with the limited heritage sites often overcrowded by tourists and residents. Casino oriented development and housing needs for a growing population can be an obstacle for heritage sites preservation and green spaces. This study explored the feasible strategies and solutions to expand spatial heritage tourism carrying capacity by identifying the potential new land resources for heritage and for tourism. It was conducted through reviewing the relevant planning and policy documents, site surveys and observations, and data application onto the site map through AutoCad computer software to estimate the potential supply of more land areas and historical venues available to the public and to tourists. Results demonstrated how Macao could expand 189 percent of new land for tourism, almost doubling the existing tourism carrying capacity. Some measures for managing the capacity were also proposed. This study also contributes to the literature by understanding how Tourism Carrying Capacity (TCC) of a destination can be expanded, to increase a city’s physical/spatial capacity and making the city more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Keywords

heritage tourism; tourism carrying capacity; dynamic approach; sustainable tourism; Macao

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