Dispute threatens to tarnish Macao's image

2007-12-05 15:18:24

Macao, China's popular gambling enclave, has witnessed a scuffle between police and tourists after an argument broke out in public.

Around 100 angry Chinese tourists claimed they had been abandoned on a beach by their tourist guides after the latter were accused of failing to give value for money.

Riot police and Macao officials were called in to calm the situation and the tourists were persuaded to return to their hotels, the South China Morning Post reported.

Macao, a former Portuguese colony, brims with tourists and gamblers thanks to the increasingly prosperous gambling economy.

But some tourist experts fear that this latest spat will deter visitors from the mainland. Macau lawmaker Antonio Ng said it was unfortunate that armed police were involved.

In 2005, more than ten million visitors from China came to Macao and in the following year, the Chinese enclave overtook Las Vegas in terms of casino revenues.