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Englisch > Chinesisch: Interview with Mr. Taewoong Kim, President of the Daegu Casino General field: Sonstige Detailed field: Wirtschaft/Handel (allgemein)
Ausgangstext - Englisch Interview with Mr. Taewoong Kim, President of the Daegu Casino
Date: October 14, 2011
Location: Daegu casino
Craig: Hello, it’s nice to meet you. Can you briefly introduce yourself and the casino?
Taewoong: It’s nice to meet you, too. I am the president of the Daegu casino. I used to work for Shinhan Bank, managing a lot of financial transactions and serving VIP customers. I have been running this casino for about two years now. I actually started in Gyeongju, but decided to move to Daegu for a bigger market. I opened this casino in Daegu last March. Due to the nature of the casino business, we prefer a city with a large population of foreigners and easy access. I think Daegu is a 20~30 times bigger market than Gyeongju.
Craig: Would you mind telling us your total sales?
Taewoong: We are in the beginning stage, so our sales number is very insignificant. But, we are putting our best effort into reaching the goal of 50 billion won by 2012.
Craig: Since the Daegu casino is still unknown to many foreigners, I think promotion is very important. Do you have any advertisement or marketing plans?
Taewoong: Right. Compared to the other casinos in Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, our Daegu casino has a lot of room to improve. The Busan casino is at another level. With around forty years of history and many regulars, the Busan casino makes huge profit. Also, Busan’s tourism infrastructure is considerably better than Daegu’s. I admit that the Daegu casino has some limitations because of these conditions. However, our competitive edge is our large space that allows us to offer comfortable service to all customers. We guarantee the best service to every customer.
Craig: Can you give us an overview of casinos in Korea?
Taewoong: Besides Jejudo, there are three foreigner-only casinos in Seoul, and one in Busan, Incheon, Sokcho, and Daegu. The total annual sales volume exceeds 700 billion won. It is expected to double by next year. Compared to the other casinos, the Daegu casino has just begun. However, if we use our advantage to the fullest, I think we definitely have a chance to succeed. As I already mentioned, the Daegu casino is bigger than other casinos, which is quite appealing to agents that draw customers. If we can satisfy our agents, I am confident that we will achieve our goal soon. At the moment, we don’t have many customers compared to the total capacity of the casino, so it is a perfect time to enjoy the best service.
Craig: Do you have any thoughts about the Chinese market?
Taewoong: China is an attractive market that is growing fast in the international tourism industry. We are making special plans to attract Chinese VIP customers. Right now, these customers usually go to Macao, the Philippines, and Thailand. But they are gradually beginning to recognize Korea. We will make a lot of effort to draw these Chinese VIP customers to Daegu. We will compose an agency team that specializes in serving Chinese customers, and issue VIP cards to assist their transportation. Also, we are closely working with the Daegu city government so that our customers can have a good time enjoying the city. We are making our best effort to associate ourselves with other services, such as medical tour and familiarization tour options. We will prepare everything in detail from a customer’s perspective.
Craig: Attracting Chinese tourists is what all other cities want. Is there anything special about Daegu?
Taewoong: We don’t just sit and wait for customers. We are taking action to introduce ourselves to our potential customers. Last September, Hong Ho-yong, the President of the Daegu Tourism Organization and its delegation visited Ningbo, China. We made an agreement on tourist exchanges with the Korean Business Association of Huadong in China. If Chinese tourists visit Daegu through their introduction, we will provide VIP services to them and develop specialized tourism products that appeal to them.
Craig: There are a lot of limitations in the Daegu tourist infrastructure. Do you have any plans to address these limitations?
Taewoong: I am well aware of those limitations. Yes. Compared to other cities, Daegu has a lot of limitations in transportation, accommodation, awareness, shopping, language, and citizen consciousness. However, Daegu also has a lot that other cities don’t have. If we promote our city correctly, I think we can draw more foreign tourists. Take shopping for example. People say there is no tax free shop in Daegu. That is true. But think about it. Why do customers like tax free shops? It is because they want to buy brand-name and high-end products for a more affordable price. As a matter of fact, Daegu has around 50 luxury stores. These stores carry great products at cheaper prices than tax-free shops. According to our survey, customer satisfaction is very high for those stores. Another issue that is mentioned is transportation from an airport. Our primary customers are Chinese VIPs, and they are usually from Shanghai. There are scheduled flights between the Shanghai Pudong International Airport and the Daegu Airport every day, and it takes only 10 minutes by car to get to our casino. There is no casino in Korea that is as close to an airport. In cooperation with the Korean Business Association of Huadong, we will provide the best service to our Chinese VIP customers from their arrival to their departure. Not only will they have a great time in our casino, but they will also gain a lot of great experiences exploring Daegu by using our tourism products. We will impress them with all our heart. We will offer a private limousine to assist their shopping, tours, or visits to any influential organizations in Daegu. We are ready for the best service, and will continue our efforts to improve our services for our customers’ needs.
Craig: After listening to your good understanding of the market situation and preparations, I am getting excited to see those changes.
Taewoong: Thank you. If we just waste time complaining about what Daegu doesn’t have or what we are not yet ready for, we will lose out on all the good opportunities. In the next five years, the Chinese market will grow quickly. If we try to make everything perfect before we bring them over, it will be too late. No chance will be left at that time. We will do our best, focusing on what we can do best. Daegu has a very advanced medical infrastructure. I will use this to promote Daegu. And a lot of Chinese students live in Daegu. I will reach out to them to become our ambassadors for Daegu. I will provide international students with job opportunities so that they can contribute to the development of exchanges between Daegu and their towns in China.
Craig: Wow. You really make me excited. Is there anything InDaegu can do to help develop tourism in Daegu?
Taewoong: Actually, InDaegu has an enormous role. The first step to making all this happen is promotion. I know what InDaegu and you, Mr. White, can do. I would like to ask you to make efforts to help develop tourism in Daegu and Daegu city itself. For effective advertisements and marketing promotions, we need to maintain a good relationship with China. I believe InDaegu and you can take on that role better than anybody. It is important to keep in mind that collaboration is a key to success. Trying to work alone is not a good strategy. And if we come up with good plans or find good opportunities, we need to move fast. However, cooperation with the city of Daegu takes time. A government organization tends to move slowly due to its hierarchy. With a big and clear goal, we need to make investments with the right timing. If we need to, our casino will make the first move. We shouldn’t miss out on good opportunities. From this point of view, I definitely hope InDaegu can play an important role in promoting Daegu tourism and the Daegu casino as well. I know you have done a lot for Daegu, and those efforts will turn out soon.
Craig: Your complements really motivate me. I promise that InDaegu will do its best to contribute to the development of Daegu tourism. Thank you for your time.
SUMMARY: The Daegu casino is making a lot of effort to develop tourism in Daegu. The casino is a fast-growing business, and its success in Daegu will contribute to the development of the economy in Daegu. Although the Daegu casino is still in the beginning stage, it definitely has a chance of success if we focus on and maximize the benefits of our strengths. For this goal, the Daegu casino has a strong interest in the Chinese market. We cannot lose this huge opportunity that sits right in front of us. My casino employees and I will devote all of our energies to attracting Chinese VIPs with our passion, sincerity, and kindness. However, this is a very important project that we cannot do by ourselves. So, we sincerely ask the Daegu city and its citizens for your interest and cooperation.
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