Sasebo mayor, Norio Tomonaga, gave a report on the expected economic effects on each area in Kyushu that an IR bid would bring during a meeting of the Kyushu Association of Mayors in Sasebo, Nagasaki last week.
According to multiple media reports, many mayors from other prefectures expressed high expectations for “Kyushu coming together to support” the project.
The Kyushu Association of Mayors is made up of city mayors from Kyushu and Okinawa and this meeting was held at a hotel neighboring Huis Ten Bosch in Sasebo city.
On the final day, Sasebo Mayor Tomonaga used a video to introduce the IR property the city is working to bid for.
He also emphasized the wide economic effects an IR would have on each region due to the prospective inbound demand of foreign tourists due to its proximity to East Asia. There was also discussion of the necessity of preparing a network so that sightseeing to all the regions in Kyushu would be accessible to the IR guests.
At the roundtable, the participating mayors exchanged opinions and asked questions such as, “Will an IR bid be successful?” while noting, “It would be easier to provide support if we were able to spread correct information, since most people only think of casinos when they hear IR.”
Mayor Tomonaga was quoted as saying, “We are much further along in preparations than other regions. Please continue to support this bid.”
