The “Indonesia Business Forum 2026: Sustainable Tourism; Strategic Partnership with the Greater Bay Area [GBA]” took place at Wynn Macau yesterday, during which Fithonatul Mar’ati, acting consul general of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong, described Macau as an important partner for her country and an entry point into ‘one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions’.
The one-day forum, which was hosted by the consulate, aimed to provide insight into Indonesia’s sustainable tourism opportunities and identify potential partners from Macau, Hong Kong and elsewhere in the GBA.
The consulate is accredited to the Hong Kong and Macau SARs.
Panel discussions and keynote speakers took place, along with business matching sessions. Attendees included representatives from government, consuls, academia and the business community, along with participants who travelled from Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Singapore, among others.
In her opening speech, Mar’ati spoke on the strengths and developments of the tourism industry of Indonesia, which she said is one of ASEAN’s largest and most promising economies, inviting Macau-based investors, businesspeople and service providers to explore Indonesia’s tourism potential.
Mar’ati went on to highlight Macau and its important role within the GBA, noting: “As part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macau is an international tourism and leisure centre connecting business, culture, services, events and people. Indonesia sees Macau as an important partner and an entry point to one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions”.
Merchandise trade with Macau is modest but has shown “positive momentum”, she said.
People-to-people ties, she noted, are also growing, with visitor arrivals from Indonesia, which ranks third among Macau’s foreign visitor source markets, reaching 208,143 in 2025 while the city’s non-resident workforce includes over 8,300 Indonesians.
Meanwhile, Secretary for Economy and Finance Ng Wai Han, representing Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, highlighted in her speech the continuously deepening relationship between Macau and Indonesia, along with tourism as one of the areas with “greatest potential” for cooperation.
“In recent years, Macau and Indonesia have continuously deepened pragmatic cooperation in various major realms”.
Concerning the MICE sector, Ng added that Indonesian enterprises have also participated in flagship events in Macau for many consecutive years, and, for industrial and commercial cooperation, she highlighted a visit to Indonesia by the “Delegation of Chinese Mainland and Macao Enterprises for Going Global” at the end of 2025. “Through collaborations across different sectors, Macau and Indonesia have laid a solid foundation for further expansion of the Belt and Road market”, she said.
Moreover, on tourism, Ng underlined its great potential for cooperation. She added that the government will continue to promote Muslim-friendly services and organise workshops about Muslim travellers for those in the tourism and hospitality industry, striving to “build Macau into a Muslim-friendly destination”. Macau now has “a growing number” of food product manufacturers and restaurants that have obtained Halal certifications, she said.
Ng concluded her speech by pointing out that “China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been great neighbours, friends and partners sharing a common future. Our relations are on fair and friendly terms in pursuit of mutual benefits and success”.
“The Macao SAR Government looks forward to deepening cooperation in economy, trade and investment, conventions and exhibitions, tourism and cultural exchange, among other areas. We sincerely welcome enterprises from Indonesia to expand their business in Macao and leverage our city’s platform to build connectivity with the markets in the Chinese mainland, Portuguese-speaking countries and the world, joining hands to unveil a myriad of new opportunities for a sustainable future”, she said.
Fithonatul Mar’ati, acting consul general of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong, delivers her opening remarks at yesterday’s “Indonesia Business Forum 2026: Sustainable Tourism; Strategic Partnership with the Greater Bay Area”, at Wynn Macau.
Secretary for Economy and Finance Ng Wai Han delivers her speech at the Indonesia Business Forum 2026, at Wynn Macau yesterday. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
