Macao hosts MasterChef Asia series, showcasing the city’s distinct “tourism + gastronomy” flavor to the world

MACAU, May 27 - The popular competitive cooking series MasterChef Asia returns after a 10-year hiatus, with Macao selected as the host. Entirely filmed in Macao, the production of the series with a total of ten episodes began in the city this month. Providing contestants with a vibrant stage to display their culinary talent, the series is set to present Macao’s distinct “tourism + gastronomy” appeal to a broader audience in multiple international visitor source markets, raising the city’s profile abroad while promoting gastronomic cultural exchange.

In partnership with the Macao Government Tourism Office, the new 10-episode series from Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment, is produced by Warner Bros. Discovery and CreAsia Studio (part of Endemol Shine India).

Macao provides ideal backdrop for chefs to showcase their talent internationally
Macao’s celebrated culinary scene and its development as a Creative City of Gastronomy provides a fitting location for the series that will showcase the destination’s unique profile and diverse “tourism +” offerings to a wide international audience. The culinary challenges for the ten contestants will be filmed both indoors and outdoors around Macao.

With nearly 500 years of east-meets-west cultural heritage, Macao has a vibrant dining scene ranging from popular street food stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants, making gastronomy one of the city’s top tourism attractions. Following the designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017, Macao has been leading the development of gastronomy towards greater innovation and sustainability, introducing more culinary tourism experiences and creating more appealing “tourism +” products. This rich background will provide MasterChef Asia participants an inspiring environment to display their world-class culinary talent.

Ten episodes to be broadcast in Asia and the Middle East to effectively promote the destination
The series will introduce Macao to an international audience across several platforms, with airing on TLC, Discovery, and the Asian Food Network in India, Southeast Asia, Greater China, and Korea, as well as Lala TV in Japan and the Fatafeat channel in the Middle East, set to help create more travel intention to Macao and reinforce the city’s branding.

MasterChef is a global hit with fans across the world. Created by Franc Roddam and first launched in 1990, MasterChef is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Cookery Television Format. To date, the show has been commissioned in 72 markets, aired over 700 seasons and more than 16,000 episodes. MasterChef Asia, filmed in Macao, will further showcase the destination’s image as a world centre of tourism and leisure and a Creative City of Gastronomy.