Paradise City Resort

[Anchor Lead]

An integrated resort has opened its doors in Yeongjongdo Island off the west coast of the city of Incheon. It’s the largest of its kind in Asia, and says it's aiming to attract 1.5 million foreign tourists for the next year.

[Pkg]

An integrated resort has opened its doors to visitors with a glamorous opening ceremony. Located in front of Incheon International Airport on Yeongjongdo Island, the ten-story integrated building houses a five-star hotel and resort as well as the largest foreigner-only casino in the nation. The convention center can accommodate up to 1,600 people. By serving as the venue for international conferences and providing guests with leisure and entertainment services, the resort is aiming to attract 1.5 million foreign tourists for the next year. However, not everything is looking rosy. It's because the resort is expected to inevitably face blows due to a sharp drop in the number of Chinese tourists following South Korea's decision to deploy the THAAD U.S. missile defense system.

[Soundbite] Chun Phil-lip (Chairman of Paradise Group) : "We were heavily dependent on China in the past, but now we will seek to create new demand by diversifying markets."

Strategies are needed to attract foreign tourists, including international conferences and exhibitions.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Jae-ho (Inha Technical College) : "It is crucial to come up with strategies to provide additional services for foreigners who come to attend conferences as part of efforts to attract foreign tourists."

One idea being pursued is to connect the integrated resort with tours to Songdo Island and Incheon's Chinatown.