Asian tourism takes
an immediate hit from
coronavirus
Tourist numbers are down, with no end in sight for travel
industry
A
Japanese city pitches for
healthcare gaming resort
Sasebo calls on medical tourism strategy to vie
for one of three new casino licences
A
small city in southwestern Japan is hoping the
addition of a spa and medical tourism facilities to
its redevelopment plans will tempt the government into
award it one of three new casino licences available.
Sasebo, with a population of about a quarter of a
million on the island of Kyushu, is competing with other
cities for a permit to operate new integrated casino
resorts.
Although most gambling is illegal in Japan, the
government passed legislation last year allowing a trio
of new casino licenses.
To be selected as a host for one of the facilities,
communities must work with an experienced casino
operator before submitting their competing final
proposals to a panel in Tokyo.
Sasebo’s pitch, though Casinos Austria International
Japan, involves a Las Vegas-style casino resort on a
74-acre site next to a theme park. The development
aims to eventually feature several hotels and
restaurants, as well as substantial conference and
exhibition areas. A spa and medical tourism facilities
also feature in the plans.
The developers behind the pitch hope that using
health and medical tourism’s winning combination
will be a way to entice the government to opt for their
scheme.
Over the last decade, Japan has been carving
a niche for itself as a healthcare destination, on
the back of its excellent public and private hospital
infrastructure. It’s also renowned for its cancer
treatment, where outcomes have been shown to be far
better than in Western countries, including the United
Kingdom and United States.
GlobalHealthAndTravel.com
sian tour operators are facing tens of thousands of tour
group cancellations each day in the wake of the recent
coronavirus outbreak which has persuaded large numbers
of Chinese tourists to stay home, while some countries in the
region have banned Chinese travellers.
The tourism industry across Asia is bracing for a long period
during which people from China avoid travelling in general and
potential long-haul tourists put off travel to Asia due to fears of
the virus.
As an illustration of the coronavirus’ effect, Hong Kong’s main
carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, asked its 27,000 employees to
take three weeks of unpaid leave after the airline cut about 30
percent of its overall capacity and 90 percent of its flights to
mainland China.
Thailand, one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists,
estimates it stands to lose some US$3.5 billion in tourism
revenue due to the outbreak. Authorities there now require
arrivals from China to show medical clearance certificates
before being allowed entry into the country.
In Malaysia, where Chinese tourists accounts for 11 percent
of the total tourist market share, some operators are reporting
group cancellations throughout February and well into March.
In response, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry established
a Tourism Recovery Action Committee to monitor current
developments.
The region faced a similar crisis two decades ago during the
SARS outbreak of 2003-04. At the time, Hong Kong reported
a 41 percent reduction in the contribution of tourism to gross
domestic product. Similarly, Singapore recorded a 43 percent
decline in visitor numbers, alongside a 25 percent drop in China,
according to the World Economic Forum.
While it’s still not known what the virus’ full impact on medical
tourism will be, officials in the region are bracing for the worst.
MARCH 2020
45