Locals pinning hopes on influx of Chinese tourists

Tourism have been optimistic about a possible policy change that will spark an influx of Chinese tourists, as a Chinese tourism delegation led by Shao Qiwei (邵琪偉), director of China's National Tourism Administration, arrives in Taiwan today for a 10-day visit.

The Taiwan Visitors Association (台灣觀光協會), host of the group's tour around Taiwan, said the trip will take them to world-renowned National Palace Museum, the Taipei 101 skyscraper, Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), Alishan (阿里山), Kenting (墾丁), and Taroko Gorge (太魯閣), as well as fine hotels and restaurants that will be on the itinerary for future tourism groups.

As their opinions may determine how tourism packages will then be revised, business operators have geared up to show their best quality service and advanced facilities.

"We have printed brochures with simplified Chinese characters in the Leofoo Village (六福村) amusement park to welcome them," said Sean Chuang (莊秀石), president of Leofoo Development Co (六福開發), which operates the amusement park, the Westin Taipei and the Leofoo Hotel (六福客棧).

Chuang, who also serves as chairman of the International Tourist Hotels Association of Taipei (台北市觀光旅館商業同業公會), said Taiwan is well-prepared to receive more foreign tourists, taking into account the number of government-approved tourist hotels, tour buses, restaurants and tour guides.

occupancy rate

In Taipei alone, the occupancy rate of its 34 tourist hotels, or 10,442 rooms, averaged 67 percent last year.

"The spare rooms can accommodate over 6,000 people per day, much higher than the initial daily influx of 1,000 Chinese tourists," Chuang said, adding that all 85 tourist hotels in Taiwan are of the highest quality.

The government's preliminary plan is to allow 365,000 Chinese tourists per year, or 1,000 people a day, to visit Taiwan as their main destination for a maximum of 10 days, arriving through either Hong Kong or Macao.

This would make China the fourth largest source of incoming visitors after Japan, Hong Kong and Macao, and the US, according to the Tourism Bureau's figures last year.

Victor Lin (林育德), director of the marketing department at Skylark Travel Service Co (天喜旅行社), however, appeared more cautious over the upcoming business potential, saying that risks would arise when Chinese guests flee from groups to stay illegally in Taiwan.

An at the Tourism Bureau, who preferred not to be named, said that since 2002 when certain categories of Chinese tourists were allowed to come to Taiwan, more than 60,000 people had taken the trip as of the end of last month. Of them, 70 to 80 people disappeared and over 30 people are still missing.

Roget Hsu (許高慶), secretary-general of the Travel Agent Association of Taiwan (旅行公會全國聯合會), shrugged off such concerns.

"Based on previous incidents, the percentage of Chinese tourists disappearing from the groups is so low that it should not pose a problem," Hsu said.

Instead, he was optimistic about the positive economic effect that would be created, predicting that the relaxation will create about 700,000 new jobs as one Chinese tourist could support two employment opportunities here.

Chinese will benefit the local tourism sector and generate NT$60 billion (US$1.78 billion) worth of output a year, he added.

With an eye to the strong purchasing power of affluent Chinese, major travel agencies, including South East Travel Service Co (東南旅行社), are keen to win the right to operate local tours for their new customers.

"It is important for operators to grab a share in this potential market as a gradual opening is expected," said Jack Lin (林健興), manager at South East Travel.