Paradise City to reopen non-gaming facilities from July

After a year of closure, Paradise City in Incheon, South Korea, will reopen its non-gaming attractions from July.

South Korea.- Paradise City casino resort is to resume non-gaming attractions in July after a year of closure. It will reopen its spa and the indoor theme park “Wonderbox.”

The company said: “We will do our best to ensure safety and quarantine so that you can enjoy fun in Paradise City in the coming summer with confidence. The re-opening of Wonderbox will be a signal to target domestic travel demand in earnest.”

The casino operator has been struggling with a lack of tourists and a drop in visits to casino venues due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Paradise Co post losses of KRW18.2bn (US$16.2m) for the first quarter of the year. Casino sales for the first quarter reached KRW30.2bn, down 60.2 per cent when compared to 2020 but up 51.4 per cent sequentially. 

EBITDA was KRW12.9bn, up 76.3 per cent when compared to the previous quarter (KRW7.3m) but down 59 per cent year-on-year.

South Korea negotiates travel bubbles

The South Korean government is in talks with Singaporean and Taiwanese authorities about a potential travel bubble from July. 

According to the South Korean Transport Ministry, the travel bubble will be open only to those who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Initially, travellers will be required to show negative Covid-19 test results three days before departure and test again upon arrival at their destination. Tourists will also have to follow an itinerary rather than roaming freely.

Although discussions have only just begun, the travel bubble could include other territories such as Guam, Saipan and Thailand.

The news was well received by the tourism and gaming sectors as an average of just 9,722 tourists per month have visited South Korea since last April, a 99 per cent decline compared to the 1.33m visitors in January 2020.