A survey conducted by the Alliance for Common People Building Up Macau (API –民眾建澳聯盟 found that 71.4 percent of the shop owners around Rua de S. Domingos are pessimistic about their business’s growth prospects.
The community association held a press conference at its headquarters on Estrada Marginal do Hipódromo (馬場海邊馬路) on Friday, where its representatives announced the survey’s research findings and recommendations on optimising the business environment around Rua de S. Domingos (板樟堂街).
API President Nick Lei Leong Wong noted at the press conference that in recent years the number of tourists has continued to rise, recovering to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. However, Lei said, visitors tend to concentrate on certain scenic spots and attractions, even though the surrounding streets and alleys also boast rich historical and cultural significance, making them worth exploring. Yet, due to a lack of measures to divert the tourist traffic, many pass by these areas without stopping, preventing nearby businesses and the local economy from benefiting from the growth in tourism numbers.
Lei said he hoped that the findings of the survey, which was conducted by the group, along with the opinions and recommendations collected during the survey, could serve as a reference for the relevant authorities in their efforts to optimise the business environment and promote community economic development. This, Lei said, would help prevent possible shop closures from negatively impacting employment and the vitality of the Rua de S. Domingos neighbourhood.
API’s survey was conducted between March and April, collecting a total of 42 responses. The findings revealed that most surveyed shop owners expressed only moderate or even low satisfaction with the overall business environment, citing challenges such as insufficient customer traffic, high rents, intense competition, and outdated infrastructure.
The survey points out that 76.2 percent of businesses have been operating for over five years, while only 16.7 percent are new entrants, indicating a high degree of business stability in the area but a lack of fresh vitality. Additionally, most of the businesses reported a decline in revenue over the past year, with 71.4 percent expressing a “pessimistic” outlook for the future.
The survey noted that crowds are concentrated on the neighbourhood’s main street (Rua de S. Domingos), infrastructure is outdated, and there is a lack of distinctive activities and promotion.
The association proposed a series of improvement suggestions, such as street beautification and facility upgrades, extending beautification projects to alleyways, incorporating festive elements, optimising access to the neighbourhood, promoting the redevelopment of the S. Domingos Municipal Market Complex (營地街市市政綜合大樓), and adding car parks.
Rua de S. Domingos (Saint Dominic Street) starts at Largo de S. Domingos (Saint Dominic Square) and ends at Rua de Pedro Nolasco da Silva) near Teatro Capital.
Pedestrians walk past shops near Rua de S. Domingos yesterday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
