The business traveller’s ultimate guide to Macao

Macao has been enjoying an enhanced sense of purpose lately, acting as a well-placed bridge between cultures and economies, and recognised as a strategic player in the Greater Bay Area. Travellers can reach the city directly from Hong Kong International Airport – without having to go through immigration or collect your baggage – thanks to Cathay’s Direct Air+Sea and Direct Air+Land connections.

Compact in scale yet ambitious in outlook, Macao plays big. For business travellers, it offers a rare combination of fiscal simplicity, cultural depth and strategic access to the GBA’s trillion-dollar ecosystem. Here, tradition isn’t nostalgia, it’s infrastructure; innovation’s not a buzzword, it’s policy.

Where to start on business in Macao 

If old Macao was all about sailors and spices, new Macao is all about deals and data. The Cotai Strip – the reclaimed stretch between Taipa and Coloane – is the city’s commercial core, brimming with integrated resorts that double as convention engines. Galaxy International Convention Center and Cotai Expo at The Venetian Macao host everything from fintech forums to luxury showcases, while casino-run theatres draw global acts that often turn into networking nights in disguise.

Luxury hotels and Michelin-decorated restaurants cluster within walking distance, making Cotai a one-stop circuit for business travellers. The Macau Light Rapid Transit (LRT) efficiently links the six major resorts, the airport and the ferry terminal – though taxis remain the practical and often fastest way around. Just across Lotus Bridge, Hengqin’s New Macao Neighbourhood is the next frontier – a cross-border extension blending finance, technology, traditional medicine and innovation zones with a familiar Macao sensibility.

What to know about doing business in the GBA 

Macao’s business etiquette reflects its dual identity: Cantonese pragmatism with Portuguese formality. Punctuality matters, business cards are exchanged with both hands, and the host always leads the first toast. Dress is smart-casual unless protocol dictates formality. You’ll also hear references to the “Big Six” concessionaires – shorthand for the gaming giants that built the skyline and bankroll the city’s diversification drive.

Where to take business clients in Macao 

Breaking bread is a rite of business passage here. Begin with fine-dining temples such as the two-Michelin-starred The Eight at Grand Lisboa , Lai Heen at The Ritz-Carlton , Wing Lei at Wynn Macau  or Mesa by José Avillez at Grand Lisboa Palace for Mediterranean-Macao fusion. Guincho a Galera at Hotel Lisboa offers vintage refinement, while The Kitchen – also at Grand Lisboa – remains a steakhouse staple with skyline views.

For something livelier, Broadway Food Street near Galaxy delivers a bustling, open-air culinary theatre ideal for informal groups. In Old Taipa Village, heritage shophouses now host contemporary eateries and wine bars. For daytime brews, try Blooom Coffee House  The Study  (Four Seasons Hotel Macao) or the Long Bar (Raffles Macao) – reliable venues where conversation flows as smoothly as the cocktails.

Macao’s top hotels  

Cotai’s hotel scene redefines scale. Choose from Grand Hyatt, JW Marriott, The Londoner, The Karl Lagerfeld , Wynn Palace, Andaz or Four Seasons – all equipped with executive lounges, private meeting rooms, spas and gyms.

Across the bridge on the Macao Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental and MGM Macau overlook Nam Van Lake and offer easier access to government offices and banks. Those seeking character should book the Pousada de São Tiago , a restored 17th-century fortress-turned-boutique hideaway with views of the Inner Harbour, ideal for discreet strategy sessions over port and pastéis de nata.

Business etiquette in Macao 

Macao’s residents are famously multilingual and cosmopolitan. Safe topics include cuisine, heritage, the annual Grand Prix race and cultural festivals. And as with most places you visit, it’s best to avoid politics. Essentially, showing appreciation for the city’s architecture or old-world charm goes a long way.

Downtime done right 

When business pauses, Macao rewards curiosity. Walk from Senado Square through cobbled lanes up to the Ruins of St Paul’s, then descend to the Maritime Museum and A-Ma Temple, the city’s spiritual origin. The Macao Museum of Art and Albergue SCM galleries showcase international and local creativity, while Lou Lim Ioc Garden (Tap Seac area) and Casa do Mandarim at Largo do Lilau whisper stories of merchant wealth and quiet power.

For a break from the bright lights, head south to Coloane Village and Hac Sá Beach, where you’ll find seafood shacks and sea breezes. Alternatively, the Taipa and Coloane Trails offer forest serenity just a 15-minute taxi ride away. Evening entertainment ranges from Cotai Arena concerts to orchestral nights at the Macao Cultural Centre – and don’t miss the revived House of Dancing Water aquatic show, still the city’s theatrical crown jewel. Lastly, like Lisbon, Macao has seven hills, all of which are worth hiking.

Quintessential Macao souvenirs  

Global brands abound at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian or Wynn Esplanade, but you’ll find more soul at Rua de São Paulo and the Red Market, where vendors sell hand-painted tiles, Macanese sauces and the city’s beloved almond cookies. Add a bottle of Portuguese wine or a box of pastéis de nata, and you’ll leave town with gifts that tell a richer Macao story.