Cebu marks milestone with debut of first IR, more resorts needed

Cebu is home to the Philippines’ newest integrated resort, with the NUSTAR Resort & Casino opening its doors in May, though some observers say there needs to be more critical mass for the area to reach its full potential as an international gaming destination.

Cebu province is located in the Central Visayas district of the Philippines and has a population of around 3.3 million. It consists of Cebu Island itself, as well as about 150 other smaller islands fringed by white-sand beaches.

It is one of three key areas that the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has loosely designated as a gaming hub, with the others being Entertainment City in Manila and Clark towards the north of the capital.

The area is already the second-most important tourism market in the Philippines, enjoying strong support from the South Korea market in particular.

In 2019, Cebu, which hosts the new Mactan International Airport, was second to Manila in terms of direct foreign arrivals by air, accounting for 20 percent of the total, while the city was one of the most visited in the Philippines, according to the Department of Tourism.

In addition to NUSTAR, which is owned by Universal Hotels & Resorts, the area is home to several PAGCOR-operated casinos, with the largest being Waterfront in Cebu City.

Source: https://agbrief.com/intelligence/21/06/2022/cebu-marks-milestone-with-debut-of-first-ir-more-resorts-needed/