MACAO, April 25 -- The 13th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE) kicked off on Friday, setting new records with 755 exhibitors from 70 countries and regions.

Organized by the tourism office of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government and coordinated by the Macao Travel Agency Association, the event aims to foster global tourism cooperation and strengthen Macao's international connectivity.

Over 500 participants gathered for the opening ceremony, including the SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR Zheng Xincong, and Commissioner of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao SAR Liu Xianfa.

With 30,000 square meters of exhibition space, this year's expo showcased 1,502 booths. Tourism authorities from Qatar, Hamburg of Germany, Sweden, Burundi, Kenya and Türkiye participated for the first time. According to the Macao SAR tourism office, the number of international exhibitor booths increased by 50 percent this year.

New highlights for this year's MITE include a live-streaming section for exhibitors from Belt and Road countries, a coffee station showcasing products from Portuguese-speaking nations, and a foodie market that celebrates the culinary diversity of Macao.

In her opening address, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Tourism Office of the Macao SAR government, said that Macao continuously enhances the role of a bridge to connect the tourism industries of Macao, the Chinese mainland, and the international community. She also called for the expansion of the international network to promote mutually beneficial development in the global tourism industry.

The expo runs until Sunday with over 70 activities, including promotional sessions and forums.