Rise in Chinese tourism improves outlook for South Korea’s foreigner-only casinos
Analysts expect South Korean casino operators to post stronger results in the second half of 2026.
South Korea.- The Korea Tourism Organisation has reported that 2.56 million Chinese travellers visited the country between January and May. That’s a rise of 25 per cent year-on-year.
Analysts say the rise in inbound tourism is helping to drive performance for the nation’s foreigner-only casinos. Shinhan Investment & Securities forecasts that Paradise Group will see second-quarter revenue of KRW318.7bn (US$212m) and operating profit of KRW43.9bn (US$29m).
Lotte Tour Development is also expected to benefit from higher international traffic. Shinhan projects second-quarter revenue of KRW196.0bn (US$130m) and operating profit of KRW52.0bn (US$34m). Analysts also expect growth at Grand Korea Leisure, which operates foreigner-only casinos in Seoul and Busan.
While arrivals from other Asian nations, including Japan, have also increased, there’s now expectation for further growth from China if a proposal for a visa-free policy for Chinese groups goes ahead.
