Taipei Times: How did Nan Yuan Resort Farm (南元農場) fare financially last year and do you expect an improvement this year?
Wu Tain-su (吳天素): The farm earned NT$100 million [US$3.22 million] in revenue last year, better than 2015, but that still translated into minor losses.
Travelers shunned tourist attractions in Tainan for months last year after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck [the city] on Feb. 6, leaving an apartment building in ruins and more than a dozen people dead.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
The temblor came just after Tainan emerged from the dengue fever outbreak that had scared away tourists for most of 2015. We had two challenging years even though business started to improve in the second half of last year.
We aim to end losses this year with a modest pickup in revenue.
The farm received 250,000 visitors last year and the number may hover at about a similar level this year with the nation’s economy poised for a limited uptick.
TT: How does Nan Yuan differentiate itself from other recreational facilities in Taiwan?
Wu: I decided to turn 30 hectares of undeveloped land in Liuying District (柳營) into the largest and most beautiful garden in Asia, inspired by my visit to the Butchart Gardens in Canada three decades ago.
The farm’s warm climate and moderate altitude enable it to breed more diversified floral and botanic species. Today, it has more than 2,000 plant species from different climates, a 10km hiking trail, several natural lakes, an animal garden, a bird garden, a grass area and other recreational facilities.
We also have wooden cabins overlooking the lakes and a newly completed hotel with more than 100 guest rooms.
With average daily room rates of NT$6,000 including two meals, the hotel is seeking to appeal to customers from children to senior citizens from Taiwan and abroad.
Domestic visitors account for 90 percent of our customers, which has spared Nan Yuan from the blow of the sharp decline in Chinese tourists.
TT: What would you recommend the government do to help boost the tourism industry?
Wu: The government needs to come up with more detailed and concrete plans if it is serious about boosting the nation’s tourism industry. Its campaign has proven to be little more than rhetoric so far.
Government officials should be on the front line, helping sell the bright spots and characteristics of Taiwan.
We joined a couple of overseas travel fairs and saw government officials repeat the same old promotions of Tainan’s Anping Fort (安平古堡) and Chihkan Tower (赤嵌樓). They refuse to mention privately owned properties for fear of being accused of influence pedaling.
The government’s strategy lacks flexibility and innovation.
I would suggest that policymakers visit hotels and resorts nationwide, and personally talk with operators and owners to get to know the industry and provide help if necessary. Some operators have tried hard to enhance their properties to attract tourists, while others have made only flimsy efforts.
Comprehensive support measures are needed to promote the tourism industry and verbal pleas that people spend half of their travel budget domestically will not work.
TT: What do you think of the government’s “new southbound policy,” aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese tourists and reaching out to Southeast Asian travelers?
Wu: We welcome Chinese tourists, but they cannot be counted on to drive the tourism industry in Taiwan or worldwide.
We can reach out to travelers from Japan and elsewhere. Every year, people from around the world fly to Japan to appreciate its cherry blossom and historic sites. We can copy that business model here.
In addition to Nan Yuan, tourists might like to visit nearby Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park (八田與一紀念園區), which honors a Japanese [colonial era] civil engineer and the Wushanto Reservoir (烏山頭水庫) that Hatta designed.
Hatta played an important role in planning the nation’s water conservancy projects during his 32 years of service in Taiwan and people may want to learn more about that history.
TT: Do you have any plans to adjust admission or room rates this year?
Wu: We do not have plans to raise the admission price to the farm, which is NT$350 per person, which I think is fair in light of the facilities visitors can enjoy.
People can see different floral species all year round, every time they set foot in the farm, whereas they can only expect to see the same scenery elsewhere. Visitors can also take a short boat trip, paddle a raft and enjoy other activities on the farm. We also have a cafe and two restaurants offering Chinese and Western buffet meals.
We plan to spend more money enhancing our facilities and hiring more staff to strengthen our quality of service. We currently have 120 employees.
We aim to make the farm a sustainable business and an environmentally friendly one, whether or not it can generate huge profits.
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