South Asia’s first integrated resort, which opened over the weekend in Colombo, Sri Lanka, aims to attract high rollers from India, China and South-east Asia to its casino and other offerings, officials said.
“We are attracting not only Indians, with a large neighbouring booming economy, but also travellers from China and South-east Asia where Melco has its operations,” John Keells Holding chairman Krishan Balendra told TTG Asia.
The Sri Lankan conglomerate’s US$1.2 billion City of Dreams officially opened on August 2 with two nights of events attended by Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan and a line-up of international and local performers.
City of Dreams is a brand of Macau-based Melco Resorts & Entertainment, which also operates similar properties in Manila, Macau and Cyprus, each with gaming facilities and a Nuwa hotel.
Melco Resorts & Entertainment chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho, speaking at a media conference in Colombo on Saturday, said the new facility can be positioned as “Sri Lanka to India similar to what Macau is to China”.
“Sri Lanka is also perfectly positioned as a gateway to key feeder markets, including India, China, and Russia, with India in particular showing tremendous growth in its affluent middle and upper classes. By leveraging our global network of properties and expertise, we aim to attract high-value international travellers who are seeking world-class experiences in an authentic and unique destination like Sri Lanka,” said Ho, adding that the global gaming market is estimated at approximately US$30 billion a year.
The casino received around 500 overseas visitors from India and China over the weekend.
The complex’s Cinnamon Life hotel, with 687 rooms and 418,000m² of event space, opened last November. City of Dreams has been described as the largest venue in Sri Lanka for MICE traffic, both domestic and international. Melco has separately invested US$123 million in the casino and a 113-room Nuwa hotel.
