TaiwanEvery April, 17,000 hotel rooms in Hualien earn 166 million USD, but this year this amount was “blown away” by the earthquake.
According to the Hualien Tourism Association, the local tourism industry forecast losses of about NT$5.3 billion (US$166 million) in April after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake earlier this month. The estimated number of damages may increase after more than 80 tremors – the strongest of 6.3 degrees – appeared mainly in Hualien, early on the morning of April 23. The city fire department said early this morning that a hotel that was damaged earlier this month and is no longer operating is now leaning slightly to one side. However, officials did not record any casualties.
Association President Chen Yi-feng (Chen Yi-feng) said the earthquake on April 3, which injured thousands of people and killed dozens, “severely affected Hualien tourism.” The hotel booking rate in April is estimated to be less than 10%.
An ambulance enters Taroko National Park in Hualien County on April 5. Image: CNA
Chen said that in April every year before the earthquake, the district’s occupancy rate was 60%. This year, earthquakes and aftershocks ruined the holiday mood for many potential tourists.
Citing statistics released by the Tourism Bureau, Chen said each tourist staying at a hotel in Hualien for one night or more spent an average of more than NT$5,730 (nearly US$156). It is estimated that in April of previous years, about 17,000 hotel rooms in the area could earn NT$5.3 billion (US$166 million). But this year “this NT$5.3 billion will evaporate,” Chen said.
Among the famous hotels in Hualien, the high-end Silks Place Taroko hotel has announced to stop operating until April 30, citing the severe impact of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake. The hotel is now a rescue center, providing accommodation for search and rescue workers and those affected by the earthquake.
Just Sleep Hualien, another hotel located on Zhongzheng Road in downtown Hualien, remained unscathed after the earthquake. But the occupancy rate dropped from 80 to less than 60% during the Qingming Festival (April 4-7). Overall April bookings are expected to fall to 30% from a previous estimate of 60%, Just Sleep Hualien said.
Azure, another famous hotel in Hualien located in the city center, stopped operating until June 30 because the building needed repair after the earthquake.
Reply VnExpress, Mr. Phan Tan Phat, CEO of Car Booking Travel Company in Taiwan, said that the Hualien area consists of two parts: Hualien city is located in the center and Hualien district is located in the suburbs. Hualien’s economy is mainly based on stone mining due to its many mountains and tourism. Visitors often visit Taroko National Park, night markets or Farglory Ocean Park.
Screenshots from live cameras in Hualien on the morning of April 23 show that many roads here are still damaged by the earthquake. Image: Book a car in Taiwan
Currently, Hualien has almost no tourists. If there is, it is mainly people living in the outing area because traffic to this area is still affected by the earthquake earlier this month. Mr. Phat said the island government plans to give out consumer vouchers in Hualien to tourists to stimulate tourism.
Chen said he hopes the government will also pour more relief funds into the hard-hit tourism industry in Hualien, providing subsidies to tourists to encourage them to return. The association also asked Taiwan Railways to provide special seats for visitors to Hualien as an incentive to attract visitors after the disaster.