Vast new casino resort planned for Taiwan
Posted by Bev Freeman on 27 Jul 2009 at 09:07
A gigantic £910 million casino resort could appear in Taiwan if it gets through a local gambling referendum.
The Penghu County government has outlined plans for the development on an archipelago, Reuters reports.
The scheme will include shops, hotels, a convention centre, and golf course with the idea being to boost tourism in the country.
Taiwan is hoping to mirror the progress seen in the likes of Macau, which saw a massive boost in international tourism after it opened up gambling development to international companies.
One thing which can go against the development is the current somewhat underdeveloped state of Penghu.
Reuters also added the development has already attracted the interest of companies from Asia and America, with some already having taken a look at the collection of islands.
Liu Mei-fan, of the country's tourism bureau, was quoted by Reuters as saying: "Penghu citizens have had this idea for more than 20 years, and when we held a referendum before, support was strong.
"There's a problem here. In the winter, we hit a low tourism season, so merchants have it tough then."
Taiwan first approved gaming in January, allowing it on offshore islands. But first locals in Penghu have to have to vote in their own poll decide whether or not to legalise gambling.
The new development will also not be without its competition in the area, as a privately run scheme is already being built by the British firm AMZ Holdings.
