TAIPEI (TVBS News)—The Dragon Boat Festival holiday period from June 8 to 10 marks this year's final consecutive holiday, but domestic hotel bookings have significantly dropped compared to the previous year.
The Tourism Bureau reported an average booking rate of 42.86%, a sharp 17% decline from last year's 59.94%. This downturn reflects the broader challenges facing Taiwan's tourism industry, particularly in areas still reeling from recent natural disasters.
Miaoli County and Lienchiang County are the only regions to surpass a 70% booking rate, while Hualien County, heavily affected by earthquakes, saw a dismal rate of just 9.38%. Its neighbor, Taitung County, didn't fare much better, with rates falling below 30%.
According to the Tourism Administration, the average booking rate for the first two days of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday was 42.86%, with Miaoli County being the standout, exceeding 80% on a single day. Only a handful of regions, including Miaoli County, Lienchiang County, Keelung City, Penghu County, and Kinmen County, managed to maintain an average booking rate of over 50%.
The situation in Hualien County is particularly dire. The Hualien Hotel Association's chairperson, Chang Chuan-han, revealed that the current booking rate for the Dragon Boat Festival is between 5% and 8%, a stark contrast to the over 50% rate typically seen in previous years.
Chang also disclosed that, as of the end of May, 10 hotels in Hualien had confirmed permanent closures, accounting for 8% of all hotels in the area. Also, 22 hotels are temporarily closed for repairs, and the industry has had to lay off 300 employees.
The Tourism Bureau speculates that Lienchiang County's relatively high booking rate of 77.63% on the last day of the holiday may be attributed to the "Blue Tears" season, which begins in April and has continued to boost tourism and hotel bookings in the county.
As Taiwan's tourism sector faces these challenges, the focus shifts to recovery and revitalization efforts, particularly in regions like Hualien, which have been hit hardest by natural disasters and the subsequent economic fallout.