Innovation takes the floor at MITE 2025

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From augmented reality to unique mobility solutions, this year’s Macao International Travel Expo (MITE) put innovation in the spotlight through its dedicated space for edutourism, a fusion of travel and learning, along with several unique features that highlighted the synergy between tourism and technology.

At MITE 2025, the EduTourism Hive is significantly larger than it was in previous iterations of the event, and visitors found themselves awed by the range of ideas presented.

While tie-ups between academic institutions, museums, and the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) were in play, many were drawn to an interactive demonstration of augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) as a means of enhancing a traveller’s experience of a given destination.

Especially useful in recreating destinations as they were in their original state, AR/VR tech is already a given in Macao’s tourism scene as local provider IC Art offered guests a virtual tour of the SAR’s iconic Ruins of St Paul back in its glory days as the Mater Dei Church.

In a virtual exhibition held last month, visitors were awestruck as modern technology restored what is known to be a last wall standing into a glorious example of Portuguese architecture in the east 400 years into the territory’s colonial past.

Based on this and similar exhibitions held overseas, the potential of AR/VR tech could also extend into sustainable tourism, as it would enable people to experience attractions in endangered or compromised environments in a safer, more environmentally responsible manner.

Is this a better way to move around?

Another innovative solution presented at MITE 2025 takes the concept of electric transportation to the next level.

On display in the centre of the EduTourism Hive was a prototype of a next-generation single person flyer.

Essentially similar to the personal air taxis that are now doing test flights in Europe, this innovative take on urban mobility offers a more sustainable way of getting from one place to another without adding to the increasingly heavy traffic seen in too many thoroughfares the world over.

The prototype and similar vehicles boast that these are certainly kinder to the environment as they are electric and may be recharged, exude no harmful emissions, and thus leave a significantly smaller carbon footprint.

However, it should be noted that, as of press time, there are two things standing in the way of these solo flyers: safety, of course, and the potential cost.

It is worth noting that prototypes currently being tested in Europe are being pitched to ride-hailing firms; so we may just see a shift from a four-wheeler Grab or GoJek to one that easily and speedily flies you to work without needing to catch a bus, cab, or even a commuter train.

Virtual hosting in a completely different context 

But perhaps one of the most visible innovations seen at this year’s MITE is the fact that the opening ceremony was hosted by not one, but two humanoid AI anchors.

Alongside these avatars, simultaneous translation of the speeches delivered in Mandarin during the opening ceremony appeared as running text on the screens mounted onstage.

Granted that the translations were imperfect as there is only so much a listening ear (human or machine) can process, it made for an impressive beginning to an event that continues to cast the spotlight on an industry that is every bit as dynamic and evolutionary as the work of scientists and developers in our rapidly changing world.

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