South Korea goes nuts, proposes $275B Tourist City

[Bigtime]

Local news outlets call the scale “astronomical.” Some question its economic feasibility.

Either way it is one hell of an ambitious tourism venture.

The project in question is the creation of a gigantic 'tourism city' called 8City. Plans are for it to be built on the islands of Yongyu-Muui in the port city of Incheon, next to Incheon International Airport.

Plans for the city include travel and leisure facilities from luxury hotels, condominiums, casinos and shopping malls to a theme park, a water park, a Formula One racing track, a 50,000-seat concert hall, a medical tourism-based "healing town" and a “hallyu town” showcasing Korean entertainment.

An all in one tourism destination that visitors won't want to leave. But not just any visitor.

The project aims firmly at the massive and growing market of mainland Chinese tourists.

It incorporates the number '8' into both its name and physical design directly in order to attract Chinese visitors, as the number symbolizes good fortune in Chinese culture.

Incheon City officials announced the cost of the project to be around ₩300 trillion, or US$275 billion, to be funded by the city in conjunction with foreign and domestic investors.

Developer Eightcity Co., the company formulated for this project, claims the 80-square-kilometer 8City will be the largest single tourism project in the world, and will be "three times the size of Macau." Macau's land size is approximately 28.2 square kilometers.

The main landmarks will include the 'Inner Circle' -- a “smart” tubular 14-kilometer building along the coast -- and the 'Megastrip,' which, at 200 meters high, 880 meters wide and 3.3 kilometers long will be the world's largest single architectural unit (when it's built, that is.)

The gross surface area of the Megastrip will be 4.85 square kilometers. That's larger than the Boeing Everett Factory's usable floor space, and larger than Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3. The Megastrip will be filled with hotels, offices, shopping and other tourist attractions.

Incheon City estimates 8City will create 930,000 new jobs and attract 134 million tourists by 2030.

http://www.cnngo.com/korea-8city-tou...incheon-789461

What an absolutely insane project! Clearly South Korea is banking on a lot of Chinese tourists (and casino junkies) to come their way. If this thing comes to fruition I will definitely be making a trip to SK to see it myself.

Oh and yes, the "Megastrip" looks exactly like what you think it does.

[cDnStealth]

Holy crap! It's like Dubai but without the desert.

[Sr. Mints]

Neo Seoul?

[Bigtime]

It also looks like we can officially declare that the Korean's play far too much Starcraft, as some of those buildings look straight out of the Protoss playbook!

[HPLovecraft]

Dubai's gonna be pissed.

[Bigtime]

Unlike Dubai and their crazy mega-projects there is a massive population adjacent to this project plus the HUGE Chinese tourist market right next door. For that reason alone I think it may have a shot.

[Daradon]

Pretty cool idea, but I dunno if it's feasible, especially along the timeline they have planned.

It's weird how a lot of these projects in Asia seem to be focused on the 'if you built it, they will come' model, when that's hardly ever a sustainable model. Especially for something as integrated and fluid as a city.

[Bigtime]

Just realized Psy is probably furiously writing the lyrics to "8City Style" as we speak.

[Wormius]

Sounds like they spared no expense trying to incorporate "8" into the name.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

It also looks like we can officially declare that the Korean's play far too much Starcraft, as some of those buildings look straight out of the Protoss playbook!

I wonder if the city will have the nickname of "Aiur"

[Table 5]

There are probably hundreds of real destinations in the world to tick off before I'd even think about visiting this giant tourist trap, but hey, I'm not a mainland Chinese guy obsessed with numbers, so who am i to judge.

If nothing else, it would be cool to watch the Megastructures episode.

[Kybosh]

North Korea is about to open their nuclear warhead hotel. I would totally go there.

[Buzzard]

Would this be doing it Gangnam Style??

[AR_Six]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I really hope they don't build this because it would overtake the record I currently hold for world's largest

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

I really hope they don't build this because it would overtake the record I currently hold for world's largest

you own the world's largest Dildo?

[polak]

Originally Posted by AR_Six

I really hope they don't build this because it would overtake the record I currently hold for world's largest

Phallus penatrating your ring?

[vektor]

so... yeah, that looks like the worlds largest penis. Compensating for something Korea? Hmmmmm?

[FlamingLonghorn]

I'd go as long as they don't resort to slave labor like Dubai, which I doubt they will.

[CaptainCrunch]

Sounds like something that North Korea would do.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Oh and yes, the "Megastrip" looks exactly like what you think it does.

If our pedestrian bridge would have looked like that I would have totally supported it just to see how many tourists flew into Calgary snapping pictures of Calgary's proud dong