Integrated resorts under pressure to reinvent ahead of Japan's mega complex

Korea's tourism and casino industry faces a critical turning point as it races to overhaul its public image and ease regulatory burdens before Japan opens its massive integrated resort in 2030. Industry experts and academic figures gathered at The Korea Times' roundtable discussion in Seoul on Thursday to share survival strategies against Japan's upcoming integrated resort in Osaka, which could trigger a massive outflow of tourists and capital. Kang Sung-sook, a professor at Tezukayama University in Japan, stressed that the Osaka development is designed to be much more than a simple gaming venue. "The Osaka integrated resort is not merely a facility to attract tourists," said Kang, who joined the meeting online. "It aims to become an innovation hub for international conferences, exhibitions and corporate activities." The Osaka project is spearheaded by a consortium where U.S. entertainment giant MGM Resorts International and Japanese financial services group Orix each hold an investment ratio of about 44 percent. The remaining 12 percent is backed by 22 local minority shareholders. The maWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times