The development arm of the Mohegan tribe, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, is beginning its first major investment outside of the United States, a project called the Inspire Resort, a joint project of the tribe and the operator of South Korea’s Incheon Airport, which owns the 800-acres where the project will be located.
The $1.8 billion project is designed to attract well-heeled Asian tourists, mainly from China, since South Korean residents are forbidden by law to gamble. It is slated for opening in early 2020. It will feature almost 200,000 square feet of gaming space, a three-tower hotel with 1,350 rooms, many eateries and retail shopping outlets and an arena that can seat 1,5000.
The resort will have non-gaming attractions too, such as an “eco-adventure park” feature zippiness and rock climbing and a Paramount Studios theme park.
Bobby Soper, president of the Authority, called the project “West meeting East, if you will,” he said. “There will actually be a museum incorporated into the project that will celebrate Native American history.”
Soper told Travel Weekly, “Korea is a leader in pop culture in Asia. We will certainly leverage those trends and that influence. But Koreans also enjoy certain Western influences, including Western music, and we’ve had a lot of success in the U.S. showcasing the top acts in the world.”
Visitors from China account for nearly half of South Koreas tourist industry. Unlike Macau’s casinos that mainly target southern China and Southeast Asia, the Inspire Resort will aim at visitors from Beijing, Shanghai, which are in the northern part of China.
