Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s Rubber Duck has yet to arrive, but it is already giving a much-needed boost to Greater Kaohsiung’s tourism industry, as hotels and restaurants in the city prepare to welcome it next month.
According to city officials, hotel reservations for the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period — Sept. 19 to Sept. 22 — are up 30 percent so far compared with the same period last year.
The giant yellow rubber duck is scheduled to dock at the Glory Pier (光榮碼頭) next month as part of its global tour of “spreading joy around the world.”
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
Greater Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau Director Hsu Chuan-sheng (許傳盛) said he recently met with local hoteliers to discuss designing one or two-day packages for tourists coming to see the duck.
He estimated that Greater Kaohsiung could attract at least 3 million visitors during the duck’s one-month stay.
“Revenues from related businesses could reach about NT$1 billion [US$33.2 million],” he added.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
Hsu said that limited-edition souvenirs were a big hit during the Rubber Duck’s stay at Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor in May, with some of the products selling out in three days.
“For its run in Kaohsiung, we are planning to have rubber duck toys, postcards, T-shirts and other souvenir products,” he said, adding that information would soon be posted on the bureau’s Web site.
The Howard Plaza Hotel in Greater Kaohsiung has already installed a 3m-high inflatable yellow duck next to its main entrance.
According to the hotel’s public relations officer, Liu Chia-chen (劉佳貞), more than 100 visitors have had their photographs taken with it in just one week’s time.
“We are offering an accommodation package that includes two free rubber duckies and a free cruise around Kaohsiung Harbor to let visitors observe the giant rubber duck from different angles,” she said.
The hotel’s Jiannanchun Restaurant will offer a specialty roast duck dish, she said, adding that “the skin of the duck will be roasted to a bright juicy golden-brown and a chef will carve it right by diners’ tables to demonstrate his skill.”
Kaohsiung’s 85-story Tuntex Sky Tower is preparing cocktail concoctions named after Hofman’s creation, including “Hello Rubber” and “E-Be Duck” to go with “Yellow Duck Mousse,” which is made of pineapple slices and gelatin.
Hotel manager Chen Yu-hua (陳怡樺) recommended booking rooms on select floors that offer an unobstructed view of the harbor to view the giant duck.
Excellent views are also on offer at Fullon Hotel Kaohsiung, with many suites overlooking the Glory Pier.
“For the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday period next month, the suites are now almost all booked up. Our business revenue is expected to increase by more than 30 percent,” hotel vice general manager Lin Pao-lo (林保羅) said.
The duck is set to visit Greater Kaohsiung from Sept. 19 to Oct. 20 before moving to Taoyuan County, where it will stay from Oct. 26 to Nov. 10. It will then drop anchor at Keelung Harbor for six weeks starting on Dec. 21.
According to Keelung City Council Speaker Huang Ching-tai (黃景泰), the visit of the massive floating sculpture could bring as much as NT$1 billion in revenue to the city.
Keelung hopes the duck will attract 5 million visitors, Huang added.
The economic boost aside, the giant yellow duck is also set to bring smiles to the residents of the port city, which Huang said has been ranked the least happy city in the country for five years running.
Greater Taichung is also reportedly in talks to host the outsize visitor.
Additional reporting by CNA
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS