Working at Marina Bay Sands
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Song Joo-yong, manager of the service management team at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), right, and Jung You-jin, sous-chef at Osteria Mozza at MBS, visit a shopping mall in MBS after a recent interview. / Courtesy of MBS
Iconic resort provides
opportunities for youth
By Kim Jae-kyoung
SINGAPORE — Can the development of a Singapore-style integrated resort help create quality jobs and boost the tourism industry? Won’t a resort allowing locals to gamble cause social problem?
These have been frequently asked questions ever since the idea of housing a resort similar to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands (MBS) in Korea was floated several years ago. Koreans still remain split over the issue so the government is undecided whether to allow it or not.
In order to get a better understanding of what it really looks like, The Korea Times had an interview with two Korean professionals working at MBS — Song Joo-yong, manager of the service management team and Jung You-jin, sous-chef at Osteria Mozza, a famous Italian restaurant.
The two shared the view that the best part of an integrated resort is that it can provide a wide variety of job opportunities and experiences for locals, particularly youths.
“Since MBS is not just a casino resort but a MICE-focused resort, those working here have an opportunity to see and experience lot of things related to tourism at one place,” said Song who has worked at MBS for two years.
“I think that if Korea builds a Singapore-style integrated resort, it will create many quality jobs for young Korean adults. At MBS, there are 10,000 employees and most of them are Singaporeans,” he added.
Jung, who has been with MBS for four years, echoed that view, saying, “Since MBS houses many global brands as well as celebrity chef restaurants, there are always launch events. Also, various exhibitions and conventions offer various experiences that other hotels cannot provide.”
Song, who has lived in Singapore for seven years, said that he barely sees negative effects caused by casinos at MBS thanks to the Singaporean government’s systematic control.
“I have seen how the tourism industry has developed over the past several years,” he said. “From my experience, I believe that if proper entry regulations and programs for gambling addicts are set in place, most side effects can be avoided.”
“Due to such regulations and MICE-focused factors, foreign tourists as well as Singaporeans see MBS as an entertainment complex, not a casino.”
Song stressed that Korea should take a step-by-step approach.
“Korea needs more open discussion on all the issues so that all opinions can be heard like Singapore did,” he said. “Then the government should prepare all necessary regulations and programs.”
Jung, who plans to go back to Korea after spending a few more years in Singapore, said that in order to boost the tourism industry, Korea needs to create more jobs to attract talented Koreans in the hospitality business.
“In many cases, many young Koreans who studied abroad leave Korea not because they want to find jobs abroad but because there are few jobs in Korea,” she said. “It is important to build infrastructure and culture that can absorb those qualified professionals.”
She also said that iconic architecture is important to attract more foreign travelers.
“The MBS three-towered building is now a symbol of Singapore and its SkyPark is famous worldwide so it has become an attraction for foreign tourists,” she said.