Sands Cares Ambassadors and Macau Autism Association Enjoy Sands China Presents: Seafaring Delights

Visit to The Lobster King’s art exhibition and sailing on Cotai Water Jet’s Macau Cruise Tour

(Macao, Mar 10, 2025) – With World Autism Awareness Day coming up, Sands China’s Sands Cares Ambassadors invited families from the Macau Autism Association to enjoy Sands China Presents: Seafaring Delights Sunday, taking them on an outing to visit Sands China’s Coastal Fantasia outdoor art exhibition and on a sailing of Cotai Water Jet’s Macau Cruise Tour.

This sightseeing tour for the Macau Autism Association aimed to create a positive impact in the local community as they enjoyed the beautiful coastline of Macao and the remarkable art installations of renowned pop artist Philip Colbert. The day trip was both a way for the Sands Cares Ambassadors to serve Macao’s autism community and for Sands China to promote Macao’s diverse cultures and ‘tourism+’ elements through initiatives that enrich the experiences of travellers and locals in Macao.

The group of 70 began their outing at the waterfront of the Macao Science Center, where they admired Sands China’s maritime and cultural tourism art exhibition, Coastal Fantasia: The Lobster King’s Vacation in Macao – featuring world-famous pop art master Philip Colbert’s iconic Lobster cartoon persona. They explored the area together and took photos in front of the massive Lobster Submarine inflatable art installation at the waterfront and by the four thematic Lobster sculptures along the shore area.

After Coastal Fantasia, the group headed to the Taipa Ferry Terminal to enjoy Cotai Water Jet’s Macau Cruise Tour, one of Sands China’s initiatives supporting the government’s promotion of maritime tourism. Before setting off, they received a special guided tour of the ferry. They explored the ship and learned about the responsibilities of the crew and how passengers should respond during emergencies. A highlight was visiting the ship’s bridge, where the captain described his duties and explained the functions of the bridge’s various systems, such as the control tools, radar, and electronic map.

During the one-hour sailing, they learned about interesting points along the route from a new perspective and watched an introduction video that deepened their knowledge of sights such as the Macao Science Center, the serene Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre, Macao Tower, Portas do Entendimento (Gate of Understanding), the Shaptsz Moon, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and Ponte Macau (the Macau Bridge).

Executive Vice Chairman of Sands China Ltd. Dr. Wilfred Wong said: “Sands China is committed to fulfilling corporate social responsibility as part of our core business values. Through this special cruise tour, we aim to share warmth with families of autistic individuals by showcasing the beauty of art and the elements of maritime tourism. We are dedicated to upholding our long-term commitment to help build an inclusive community, and this initiative is a reflection of that. We will continue investing resources to create equal opportunities for groups with disabilities to participate in art and cultural activities, while sharing the fruitful achievements of cultural tourism development with the community.”

Ruby Hui, director general of the Macau Autism Association said: “This ‘Seafaring Delights’ event allowed the children to enjoy the journey to the fullest and it is even more fortunate to allow them to visit the ship’s bridge and learn about the ferry service in an engaging way. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Sands China for organising the event and the Sands Cares Ambassadors for their loving companionship and care for autistic people in Macao. I hope that all sectors of society can continue to support the diverse development of autistic people and jointly promote community inclusion.”

Sands China held Sunday’s outing in response to the call to support 2025 Macau World Autism Awareness Day, aiming to create a pleasant and friendly bonding time for individuals with autism and their families. Such activities not only can strengthen the cohesion of families with autism, but also promote societal awareness and support for the autism community, fostering a more inclusive and caring social environment.

Cotai Water Jet’s Macau Cruise Tour and Philip Colbert’s Lobster art installations are part of Sands China’s continuous effort to support ‘tourism+’ and help raise Macao’s profile as a world centre of tourism and leisure.

In addition to the Macao Science Center waterfront, the city-wide Lobster pop art exhibition is at the lagoon of The Venetian^® Macao and at the historic sites of the former Iec Long Firecracker Factory and Taipa Houses until March 16, and at The Parisian^® Macao’s authentic French garden Le Jardin until May 14.

The Sands Cares Ambassador programme and other community initiatives are part of the Sands Cares global corporate citizenship programme.

Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors host families from the Macau Autism Association for Sands China Presents: Seafaring Delights, a fun Sunday outing. The group of 70 visited Sands China’s Coastal Fantasia outdoor pop art exhibition and went on a sailing of Cotai Water Jet’s Macau Cruise Tour.

Photo caption: Families from the Macau Autism Association join Sands Cares Ambassadors to explore the waterfront of the Macao Science Center Sunday. They took photos in front of the massive Lobster Submarine inflatable art installation before heading off to their next destination, the Taipa Ferry Terminal.

Photo caption: Sands Cares Ambassadors accompany families from the Macau Autism Association on a sailing of Cotai Water Jet’s Macau Cruise Tour, where they got a chance to explore the ship during a special guided tour. They learned about the responsibilities of the crew and about how passengers should respond during emergencies, and visited the ship’s bridge.