Tainan’s lodging industry recorded about NT$2.36 billion (US$76 million) in guest room sales from January to June, a more than NT$240 million increase compared with the previous six months, the Tainan Tourism Bureau said on Monday.
Guest room sales grew by more than NT$65 million in West Central District (中西), the highest growth of any district, followed by Yongkang (永康), Anping (安平), North (北) and East (東) districts, it said.
The West Central District also saw the most hotel and guest house openings of any district in that period at 29, followed by Anping at seven, it said.
Overall, there was a net increase of 43 accommodation facilities, it added.
These statistics show that the lodging industry is complex and changing, the bureau said.
In the past, travelers preferred lodging in Anping, but over the past few years, West Central District has increased in popularity among travelers, it said, adding that just because the latter is currently favored by visitors does not mean it always will be.
The city publishes statistics related to the local lodging industry — including lodging facility numbers and guest room numbers and revenue — to help investors track the status of the industry and the development of the overall tourism sector, the bureau said.
The steady growth in Tainan’s lodging industry in the first six months of this year can be attributed to a central government travel subsidy program for domestic tourism, which drove up domestic tourism spending, as well as the city’s integrated marketing efforts to promote tourism by region and improvements made to the quality of tourism services in the city, the bureau said.
Those interested in investing in Tainan’s lodging industry should pay attention to movements in the market and visitors’ demand to lower their risk, it added.
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