Landis Taipei Hotel Co (亞都麗緻) aims to expand its customer base by tapping the sports event market as more local and foreign travelers sign up for athletic activities, executives said yesterday.
The strategy came about as the hotel — the Landis Group’s (亞都麗緻集團) flagship property — seeks to diversify its income sources as a soft global economy weighs on occupancy rates.
“We intend to boost promotion-related revenue by 10 percent by reaching out to sports travelers at home and abroad,” assistant sales director Genny Chiang (江函潔) said, adding that several promotions generate as much as 20 percent of overall revenue.
Taiwan hosted about 600 running events last year, with almost all drawing full participation, generating about NT$70 billion (US$2.16 billion) in related business revenue, Landis Taipei said.
That merited a shift in the hotel’s operating strategy that would not abandon its focus on business travelers, Chiang said.
The hotel is targeting high-end sports travelers from overseas and across Taiwan, she said.
Toward that end, the firm has joined forces with the local subsidiary of Japanese food and chemical giant Ajinomoto Co to provide sports drinks and other health supplements for its guests, Chiang said.
Sports travelers can also enjoy late checkout and transport services to activity venues, among other perks, she said.
The hotel’s signature restaurant, Tien Hsiang Lo (天香樓), is next month to launch a special menu featuring traditional Chinese cuisine in a bid to increase food and beverage sales.
Food and beverage has overtaken lodging as the No. 1 source of income for the firm, driving 52 percent of total revenue over the past two years.
Occupancy rates averaged at 80 percent last quarter, down from 85 percent a year earlier, Chiang said.
Visibility remains poor this quarter, when major trade shows such as Computex traditionally bolster occupancy rates, she said.
“Hopefully, the picture will clear up after the government transition on May 20,” she said.
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