Macao tourism office rolls out localised TikTok drama series to deepen Southeast Asia reach

Macao – The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has launched Indonesian and Thai mini drama series on its official TikTok account  (@macaotourismgov), using short-form storytelling filmed across the city to attract young Southeast Asian travellers.

For the project, MGTO collaborated with high-profile content creators in both markets. Indonesian mini-drama KOLs Abi Albian and Aura Sekartika, who have a combined following of over 6.6 million, starred in the Indonesian series, while Thailand’s ladyso.th — a TikTok creator with more than 5.7 million followers — co-created and appeared in the Thai series.

Both productions were developed in the respective local languages, with scripts and cultural elements tailored to resonate with their target audiences. The series combines narrative drama with destination marketing, featuring Macao’s landmarks, neighbourhoods, and cultural sites as key settings throughout the storylines.

Filming locations included iconic attractions such as the Ruins of St Paul’s, Travessa da Paixão, Macau Tower, Cotai and Taipa Village, as well as older community areas like Rua da Felicidade, Rua dos Ervanários and Hong Kung Temple. The series aims to present a broad view of Macao’s cityscape, history and cultural atmosphere.

Each episode runs three to five minutes, designed to align with TikTok’s short-form viewing behaviour. Since their release, the dramas have drawn sustained engagement, contributing to increased followers and interactions on MGTO’s TikTok account. Some viewers noted that the series sparked their interest in visiting Macao.

The two series have collectively amassed more than 180 million views across 22 episodes. The Indonesian title, Love between Time and Space, has exceeded 100 million views and 1.4 million interactions, while the Thai series, Switch Happen, has recorded over 85 million views and nearly 500,000 interactions. Viewership has also spread beyond the two markets, gaining traction in Malaysia and Myanmar.

Since launching its TikTok account in 2022, MGTO has published nearly 900 videos in multiple languages, covering attractions, itineraries, community spots and event highlights. The account has accumulated over 3.1 million followers from Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and the Middle East, with total likes surpassing 7.7 million.

MGTO said it will continue developing creative social content and explore more ways to combine mini-drama formats with travel storytelling to engage overseas audiences and promote Macao in international markets.