Jeju Island in South Korea is among Asia’s top casino destinations, attracting a huge number of visitors from neighboring countries each year. Traditionally, most of the tourists traveling to Jeju were Chinese nationals, but things changed when COVID-19 hit.
Drop in Chinese Visitors Expected
With pandemic-related travel restrictions still in effect in Mainland China and with the Chinese government now getting tougher on casino gambling, the government in Jeju recognizes the need for it to determine other potential tourist source markets.
Ko Byoung Hun from Jeju’s Casino Policy Division said among their tourism strategies at the moment is to attract visitors from Japan, Taiwan, and the South Asian market. In particular, they’re targeting the wealthy “baby boomers” from Japan and are also banking on Jeju’s junkets to boost visitor numbers for the short term.
Jeju’s casinos are open only to foreigners, with locals not allowed to engage in any gambling activity at all of the properties. There are currently eight casinos operating on the island; however, some of them have remained closed since the pandemic.
Jeju Govt. Striving to Address Local Anti-Casino Sentiment
Casino operators have called on the Jeju government to relax some casino restrictions to drive more visitors to the island, but Mr. Ko said any changes to the law should be made with the public in mind, citing the ongoing anti-casino sentiment among locals.