Integrated resorts captivate travellers with immersive luxury and lure locals with the promises of jobs as well as boosting local revenue and global reputation.
With billions invested in projects from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific and New York, integrated resorts are emerging as tourism’s new growth engine.
Creating immersive experiences that blend luxury, entertainment, and culture, these mega-complexes combine hotels, casinos, premium retail, cultural attractions, and wellness into all-in-one destinations.
Integrated resorts (IRs) are carefully designed to cater to a diverse mix of visitor profiles, blending luxury with accessibility.
High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) remain a prime focus, with properties like Wynn Resorts offering private gaming salons, exclusive villas, and personalized experiences tailored for elite clientele.
At the same time, IRs like Cinnamon Life in Sri Lanka target wellness and leisure tourists through a combination of luxury spas, cultural storytelling, art tours, and experiential retail.
For business travellers, properties such as Marina Bay Sands in Singapore have positioned themselves as global hubs for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), integrating high-end hospitality with world-class event infrastructure.
Additionally, IRs in emerging markets, including Colombo and Ras Al Khaimah, are expanding their focus to regional tourists and local visitors, offering mid-tier luxury experiences that balance affordability with premium amenities.
At their core, IRs are designed to buffer against the volatility of gaming revenues by integrating multiple income streams. For example, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore generated roughly 38% of its revenue from non-gaming sectors in 2024, including luxury retail, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), and dining.
MGM Cotai in Macau has moved away from relying on VIP junket operators, middlemen who previously brought in high-roller gamblers from mainland China. Due to regulatory crackdowns and shifting market dynamics, junket-driven revenues now account for just around 3% of MGM’s gaming income.
In response, MGM Cotai is focusing on mass-market tourists and expanding its non-gaming offerings, such as more hotel rooms, wellness facilities, and entertainment options. This strategy aims to reduce reliance on gambling and create a more balanced, diversified revenue model that attracts a wider range of visitors.
Over the next five years, a wave of new resorts prepares to launch in the coming years, integrated resorts are expected to play a pivotal role in driving visitor demand, boosting economies, and setting new standards for experiential travel worldwide.
In the UAE, Wynn Al Marjan Island is slated to open in 2027.
Meanwhile, City of Dreams Sri Lanka will debut in August 2025 as the country’s first IR, focusing on attracting regional tourists and non-gaming visitors.
In the United States, the US$5.5 billion expansion of Resorts World New York City is scheduled for completion by mid-2026, transforming Queens into a major IR destination.
Over in South Korea, Mohegan INSPIRE opened in 2024 and is projected to achieve positive EBITDA within three years, solidifying its position in the competitive Asian market.
Another ambitious project, KIT World, is planned for South Korea as well, backed by US$12.6 billion in funding to create a hybrid digital and physical entertainment hub.
Finally, Europe will see its first major IR with the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens by 2027, signaling the model’s expansion into new territories.
Integrated resorts are emerging as powerful engines of regional transformation, turning entire destinations into global tourism hubs. Financially, they offer strong returns when conditions are favorable. Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands broke even within 4–5 years, while The Venetian Macao followed within 5–6 years. However, newer projects like Wynn Al Marjan Island in the UAE project a 9–11-year break-even period, reflecting higher construction costs and entry into newer markets.
Slated to open in 2027, Wynn Al Marjan Island is expected to generate over US$1.33 billion annually in gross gaming revenue. Overall, industry analysts forecast that the UAE’s gross gaming revenues (GGR) could reach US$3 billion to US$5 billion per year once its integrated resorts are fully operational. This growth will be driven significantly by the Ras Al Khaimah project, which aims to attract 3.5 million overnight visitors by 2030 and create thousands of jobs across hospitality, entertainment, and related industries.
The economic benefits of IRs stretch far beyond tourism. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, just two years after opening Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa in 2010, integrated resorts contributed over 40,000 jobs across sectors like retail, food and beverage, transportation, and more. Of these, approximately 22,000 local workers were directly employed. Additionally, many supply and outsourcing contracts were awarded to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), supporting businesses in areas such as floral services, event management, catering, security, and transportation.
Japan’s Yumeshima Island resort is expected to generate thousands of jobs and boost Japan’s tourism economy significantly. Construction is set to start in April 2025, with the resort slated to open by Autumn 2030, positioned to drive tourism revenue and stimulate local economic growth.
As integrated resorts expand across the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and beyond, they are poised to reshape global tourism trends, moving the focus from traditional vacation packages to immersive, experience-driven travel where entertainment, luxury, and culture converge into single-destination mega-complexes.
Despite their strong economic potential, integrated resorts (IRs) are not universally embraced due to several significant challenges.
In many regions, cultural and religious resistance remains a key barrier. MGM Osaka in Japan, for instance, faced years of public opposition rooted in concerns about gambling addiction and social disruption, and spent nearly two decades developing its IR regulations.
Another challenge is the high cost of building integrated resorts. For example, the MGM Osaka project requires an investment of over US$10 billion, making such projects affordable only for countries with strong financial resources. Environmental concerns are also a major issue, as seen with Venetian Macao and Resorts World Sentosa, where construction affected marine life and coastal areas.
In addition, there are social concerns. Okada Manila, for instance, has been criticized for raising property prices and mainly serving wealthy visitors, leaving local communities behind.
