[Photo/Xinhua]

Macao is shifting into high gear to become a center of tourism and leisure, in part by further tapping into its rich history and unique culture.

"Since Macao returned to the motherland 15 years ago, the tourism industry has made rapid progress," said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao Government Tourist Office.

The number of tourists to the special administrative region rose from 7.4 million in 1999 to 29.3 million in 2013, figures from the office showed. Tourists from the Chinese mainland increased over the same period from about 1.6 million to 18.6 million.