Where to go for family fun in Macau

It always pays to look on the bright side. The headlines might have been blazing for more than 12 months now about hard times in Macau, that revenue in the world's gaming capital has been falling at an alarming rate - 37 per cent in May alone - and that visitor numbers have also been on the decline, so far this year falling at 2.7 per cent.

The cause for all this has been the austerity drive being enforced by the Special Administrative Region's overlords up north, after they laid down the dictum that the city must expand its horizons by looking less towards games of chance and more towards increasing their entertainment options when it comes to generating the city's tourism cash flow.

But the good news to emerge from all the doom and gloom is that Macau is actually reading Beijing's message loud and clear, and we're the ones who are benefiting as the city's major players invest heavily into the realms of sport, entertainment and leisure.

The Venetian has long led the way in the first two of those categories and the next month will see its Cotai Arena hosting the "Victory at The Venetian" fight card on July 18, which pits China's I.K. Yang against Argentina's Cesar Cuenca for the IBF junior welterweight world championship, while Mando-pop star Stefanie Sun (also known as Stefanie Sun Yanzi) will grace the venue's stage on July 11. The arrival of the Broadway Theatre on the scene as part of the second stage of the Galaxy complex has meant more gigs for Canto-pop stars this summer - including the star-stacked I Want Women Power (July 11) and M Power (July 18) concerts - while Disney's Beauty and the Beast and our old favourite The House of Dancing Water continue to drag in crowds at The Venetian Theatre and City of Dreams' Dancing Water Theatre, respectively.

The major change to the Macau landscape this year has been in terms of leisure facilities - and in options for families who visit the enclave. Galaxy Macau has been at the forefront in this regard with the opening on May 27 of its US$5.5 billion second stage, which includes Broadway Macau and its 320-room hotel as well as The Ritz-Carlton with more than 250 suites and a JW Marriot Hotel with more than 1,000 rooms.