SCMP Group acquires Destination Macau from Ignite Media Group

Destination Macau Ltd publishes two titles: luxury lifestyle title Destination Macau and DM Exclusive, both in English and simplified Chinese. Total circulation is 90,000.

The company will operate under SCMP Group’s management from late March onwards. Destination Macau will maintain its editorial direction and its distribution network within five-star hotels and resorts, airlines, dedicated direct-to-Macau ferries, and most importantly, its direct distribution to high-net-worth individuals in Macau.

The acquisition follows a number of other purchases that SCMP Group made in 2013, including the Hong Kong licences of Elle and Esquire, as well as HK Magazine and Singapore's The Peak.

An SCMP Group source told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the acquisition gives the company a substantial presence in Macau, where it currently only distributes some custom-publishing titles for casino and resort clients.

By reaching the rapidly growing ranks of high-net-worth travellers, the new titles help SCMP Group solidify its position in the South China region's luxury lifestyle media space, the source said.

Macau took in seven times more gaming revenue than Las Vegas in 2013, along with US$8 billion in retail sales, and hotel capacity is set to double in the next five years, the SCMP said in a press statement, citing various sources. 

“The combination of Destination Macau’s high quality content, and its native base of affluent readers from Macau, China and the world makes this acquisition a perfect fit into the SCMP Group’s family of luxury titles, and adds to an even more formidable offering to our network of top tier advertisers”, said Elsie Cheung, chief operating officer of SCMP Group.