While Jeju is well-established as a honeymoon destination with its charming beaches and scenery, there will be something fresh for the island to shout about with the upcoming Resorts World Jeju (RWJ), which broke ground in February this year.
Slated to open progressively from 2017, the integrated resort is a US$1.8 billion development which will occupy 2.5 million square metres of land, and is said to be the largest on the island.
Comprising a casino, a theme park, a water park, retail and food complexes, hotels and a spa, RWJ is a joint project between Chinese developer Landing International Development and Genting Singapore. The resort, which is expected to be completed by 2019, will be five times bigger than its Singapore counterpart.
Welcoming this project at its groundbreaking ceremony, Jeju governor Won Hee Ryong, said: “We are confident that this resort will further strengthen Jeju island’s reputation as a holiday paradise.”
RWJ will house Jeju’s largest family theme park offering more than 20 rides and attractions in seven different zones themed after myths and legends from all over the world. The integrated resort will also boast the island’s largest adventure waterpark. Its premium hotels will have more than 2,000 rooms and luxury villas, as well as the island’s first six-star hotel.
Lim Kok Thay, Genting Singapore’s executive chairman, said: “RWJ will be a game changer in Jeju. We believe it can help Jeju attain its goal of surpassing 15 million tourists by 2018.”
According to the latest statistics from the Jeju Convention and Visitors Bureau (JCVB), 12 million people visited the island last year, a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent.
Dooyoun Hwang, president of US Travel in Seoul, said: “There will definitely be new interest in Jeju with this resort, especially for families who enjoy theme parks. It will be a big new thing for us to sell when it is ready.”
Likewise, Jane Tour & DMC’s team manager, Jay Lee, said: “This will be an attractive offering we can promote in addition to all the island offerings Jeju provides. It is something very different that will add variety to our attractions in Jeju.”
However, president of Holiday Planners, Daehong Kim, adopts a more cautious stance. He said: “Jeju island is famous for its natural attractions and its priority on ecotourism. By having a man-made attraction, it will be useful for tourism, but it will be against the policy of presenting Jeju as a clean and natural island.”
Meanwhile, with its offering of world-class facilities and attractions, RWJ looks set to grow its proportion of foreign visitors. Of the 12 million tourists that visited the island last year, 8.9 million were domestic visitors (74 per cent) while 2.8 million were Chinese, a market which grew 55 per cent from 2013.
While Jeju is popular with the Chinese market, JCVB’s marketing director Cho Jin Hun said there is rising interest from South-east Asia too, especially from Indonesia and Vietnam. The destination last year recorded 36,850 visitors (+62 per cent year-on-year) from Indonesia and 32,000 (+76 per cent) from Vietnam.
The appeal of Korea drama could be a reason driving these “rapidly growing” markets, said Cho. To raise greater awareness about Jeju’s offerings, the CVB intends to participate in more international exhibitions, and may organise fam trips.
This article was first published in TTG Asia, November 13, 2015 issue, on page 20. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe
“Typically, we would open at least a store a year, sometimes two a year,” said Suyin Lee, managing director of Flight Centre Travel Group, adding that they are looking at a space at The South Beach, as well as scouting for locations at Holland Village and Jurong East.
