Taiwan must work to cultivate `unique hot spring culture'

Taiwan needs to create its own unique hot-spring culture to develop tourism in this sector further, industry insiders told the Taipei Times yesterday.

"In order to make Taiwan's hot spring tourism industry stand out from the crowd, it is essential to develop a distinct Taiwan spa culture. This is also our primary task," said Jason Lee (李吉田), vice chairman of the Taiwan Hot Spring Tourism Association (中華民國溫泉觀光協會), which represents more than 200 spa business operators.

Taiwan inherited a centuries-old spa culture from Japan, which ruled the nation as a colony for 50 years until 1945. Many hot spring facilities are still built in a Japanese style to attract customers.

"Two of the world's four rare seabed hot springs are located in Taiwan's Green Island (綠島) in Taitung and Kueishan Dao (龜山島) in Ilan, respectively. Taiwan should make use of such a treasured gift and develop its own distinguishing features," explained Lee, who is also general manager of Nantou?based Atayal Resort (泰雅渡假村) hot springs.

The association has studied the experiences of other countries including France and Russia and is now applying to become a member of the World Health Organization's World Federation of Hydrotherapy and Climatotherapy.

In France, patients who suffer from skin diseases can receive spa treatments after getting a prescription from their doctor, for which their health insurance pays.

"We plan to extend the use of Taiwan's hot spring resources into the medical field," Lee said. "We hope that the government can assist the industry by establishing some research institutes to explore the applications of hot springs like what Japan is doing currently with money collected from the industry after the Spa Law (溫泉法) becomes effective in the future."

The Legislative Yuan approved the Spa Law this June to keep the nation's hot-springs resources under Aboriginal control with an eye to developing the spa industry as a national tourist attraction.

According to the law, spa business operators who are located in aboriginal regions would need to move. And some businesses will have to improve the construction of their premises to comply with the new law within a seven-year grace period.

Spa operators now also have to pay the government for the use of the hot springs, which are now considered national assets.

Qualified operators will be given licenses by the Bureau of Tourism (觀光局) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Insiders welcomed the new regulations yesterday.

"This measure not only protects licensed business operators from unqualified ones but also safeguards consumers from being defrauded," said Roger Sha (沙荃), resident manager at Landis Resort, Yangmingshan (中國麗緻飯店).

However, both Lee and Sha said that the money the industry needs to pay for the utilization of the hot springs would add to their costs and it is foreseeable that they would transfer the expenses to the consumers with price increases.