Yokohama City Mayor Fumiko Hayashi has proposed further dialog with operators that participated in the City’s Request for Concept (RFC) process late last year to better understand how COVID-19 has affected them.
The dialog is seen as an important new step in the city’s bid to find a partner for the operator and win central government approval to develop one of Japan’s first integrated resorts.
At the city council’s plenary session on Tuesday, Mayor Hayashi emphasized the need to pursue the IR project, stating, “Revival of tourism and MICE are essential for a long-term boost to the Yokohama economy.”
For those operators who have participated in the RFC, including Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Genting Singapore and Sega Sammy Group, additional dialog would be considered. Whether Las Vegas Sands, who had pulled out of the race in May, or Wynn Resorts, who recently shut down their Yokohama office, would be invited to participate is unclear.
Hayashi said that while proceeding with his IR plans, Yokohama would “keep pace with the rest of the country”In August, Yokohama City delayed the publication of its IR implementation policy, which outlines IR project requirements due to COVID-19 and anticipated delays in the timeline for the national application.
[image: deposit photos]
