Despite a series of failures, Pyeongchang has been selected as the venue for 2018 Winter Olympic Games for the first time in Korea. Accordingly, many competition areas and relevant facilities are to be newly built, which is expected to have positive e...
Despite a series of failures, Pyeongchang has been selected as the venue for 2018 Winter Olympic Games for the first time in Korea. Accordingly, many competition areas and relevant facilities are to be newly built, which is expected to have positive effects on local economy including employment. Yet, the municipality is to address other challenges such as financial burdens and risks associated with building and using sports arenas.
Problems relevant to hosting the Winter Olympic Games include not just lack of facilities or infrastructures. One of the problems that need be improved in association with a number of international sports events held at home is the very poor application and maintenance of a range of costly facilities. In fact, although 1988 Seoul Olympic Games were recognized as a success across the world, no consistent and comprehensive measures had been established beforehand, resulting in a failure to maximize the effects. The organizing committee and stake-holders need make diversified efforts to lead Pyeongchang Olympic Games to a success in the black. To reiterate, lots of efforts are required for sustainable invigoration of local economy through subsequent and long-term application of the venues and other facilities.
Hence, the present study suggested an aged care facility and a casino resort be developed as a plan for subsequent application of the venues and other facilities following a success of Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.
First, this study suggested an aged care facility. Pyeongchang region was found to be suitable for an aged care facility in terms of geographical and climatic conditions. Particularly, comparable to Seoguipo City as part of the Honam region with an agreeable climate condition, Pyeongchang region was analyzed in respect of the number of the elderly people aged 65 and older and that of the aged care facilities to determine its potential value for recreational and care facilities allowing local residents to engage in exchanges with the Gangwon region.
Second, a casino resort complex was suggested here. The current conditions and status of the site for Olympic Games in Pyeongchang were analyzed for strategic feasibility. Further, based on the benchmarks of successful cases of previous overseas Winter Olympic Games and the lessons learned from cases of failure, this study comparatively analyzed the plan for subsequent application established by the organizing committee of Pyeongchang Olympic Games. Besides, local residents were surveyed here to investigate and analyze their opinion about developing a casino resort complex. Notably, the survey results showed that most of respondents were positive about the development of a casino resort complex, which indicates that the residents in Daigwanryung of Pyeongchanggun are highly interested in potential effects of the Winter Olympic Games and subsequent application of the venues and other facilities. This study is meaningful in that it considered positioning Pyeongchang as a global tourist attraction taking advantage of its regional characteristics as well as suggested developing a casino resort as a means to create values for Pyeongchanggun and Gangwondo after the event. Further studies are warranted to make diverse suggestions regarding how to use the venues and other facilities following a success of Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in addition to building an aged care facility and a casino resort complex as suggested here.