GKLOperator of three foreigner-only casinos South Koreaand GGRA-Asia on how travel laws will affect their business. According to the casino company, the recently eased restrictions will not immediately help its business pick up.
Visa issuance still takes a long time
Two days ago, South Korea’s Ministry of Justice announced that it would lift some travel restrictions to make the C-3 visa application process easier. This will make it easier for travelers from Macau, Japan or Taiwan to visit the country, as long as they provide proof of their return journey.
The change could benefit GKL’s business, as Japanese make up a significant portion of its core visitors. However, the easing of restrictions will not have an immediate favorable impact on GKL’s business, the company said in an interview with GGRAsia. A GKL spokesperson explained that it currently takes about a month to issue visas. So even if restrictions are eased, it will take a while for customers to arrive.
The C-3 visa is a visitor visa that allows foreigners to travel to the country for short periods of time. Foreigners can apply for a copy at one of the South Qur’an embassies or consulates. The current changes also involve resuming travel routes between South Korea and Japan. Airlines serving the route have announced that there will be eight weekly flights. The itineraries will cover routes between Haneda Airport in Japan and Gimpo Airport in South Korea.
South Korea’s travel restrictions may change
South Korea has suspended most foreigners visiting the country for a month due to the rampant COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the spread of the virus is more or less under control, the Asian country will once again welcome leisure tourists. Still, the government has warned it may decide to restrict travel again, depending on how the COVID-19 situation develops.
Meanwhile, the easing of restrictions is good news for GKL, which operates three foreigner-only casinos in South Korea. These include the Gangnam COEX and Gangbuk Millennium Hilton Casinos in Seoul and the casino at the Lotte Hotel in Busan. While the easing of restrictions won’t benefit GKL’s business immediately, it will certainly contribute in the long run.
Japanese patrons make up a large portion of visitors to foreigner-only casinos. This trend applies not only to GKL but also to other foreigner-only operators. It remains to be seen how and when the new policy will affect the business of South Korean operators.
