Participants in The Korea Times' roundtable discussion pose for a photo at the newspaper's headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. From left are Kim Jae-kyoung, vice president of The Korea Times; Kim Eom-kwon, a team leader at Grand Korea Leisure; Seo Won-suk, president of the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea; Lee Jae-seok, a professor in the department of tourism management at Kangwon National University; Lee Dae-shin, head of the casino strategy team at Kangwon Land; and Kim Ho-saeng, a leader in the casino strategy part at Kangwon Land. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
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."
