While prices for overnight accommodation last year picked up 3 percent globally to the highest level since 2004, average daily room rates in Taiwan fell by 1 percent, a study by online travel portal Hotels.com showed.
Travelers last year spent more for hotel rooms in about 60 percent of international destinations than a year earlier, with prices in Paris posting the highest increase of 14 percent, it found.
The Hotel Price Index is used as a measure of competitiveness in the tourism industry, Hotels.com president Adam Jay said.
Hotel room prices in most regions increased last year, but there was no sign of a pickup for the industry in Taiwan, Jay said.
Taiwanese spent 1 percent less on rooms than in 2017, with average room prices in Nantou County dropping the most (7 percent) to NT$5,002 per night, followed by 4 percent retreats in Hualien and Yilan, the study showed.
Domestic visitors appeared to spend less on travel in eastern Taiwan, more than offsetting a modest price increase in northern Taiwan, it found.
Visitors to Taipei and New Taipei City spent 1 percent and 2 percent more on hotel rooms respectively, while travelers to Hsinchu saw a 4 percent increase in hotel prices, it said.
The entry of international brands and improved infrastructure helped raise room rates, it added.
Meanwhile, the number of outbound Taiwanese travelers increased 6.32 percent to 16.64 million, with Japan again being the most popular destination, followed by Thailand, South Korea, China, Singapore, France and the UK, Hotels.com said.
Japan alone attracted more than 4.82 million Taiwanese visitors, government data showed.
Kuala Lumpur had the lowest average room rates in Asia, equivalent to NT$3,319, followed by Thailand’s Pattaya at NT$4,080 and Jakarta at NT$4,324, the study showed.
In Taiwan, Taipei was the most popular destination among foreign travelers, followed by Kaohsiung and Taichung, it said.
Next most popular were New Taipei City, Tainan, Taoyuan and Hualien, it added.
Room rates in Hengchun Township (恆春) in Pingtung County fell 6 percent to NT$3,539 per night, confirming media reports that the peninsula is losing its appeal as a tourist attraction, it said.
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