Attendance at membership-only resorts is holding steady despite the economic downturn, with several of the exclusive clubs predicting growth in 2002.
Pacific Life (
"The company has continued to expand since it started in the recreation business three years ago," said Stephanie Wu (
Pacific Life currently has four resorts in northern Taiwan, including Peitou, Hsinchu, Taoyuan and Taipei County where members can access hotel facilities as well as spas, gyms, hotels and restaurants at reduced prices.
According to Wu, lifetime membership costs NT$400,000 and is valid at all locations whilen single-resort membership costs between NT$80,000 and NT$400,000.
She admitted the company's annual sales were down slightly from NT$2.2 billion to NT$2 billion in 2002 due to economic factors, but she touted the prices as reasonable, given the quality of service and convenience of locations.
Another resort chain, The Alexander Group, (
Alexander Group Chairwoman Candy Tang (
The company is also offering a one-year fitness center membership for NT$18,000, Tang said.
However, not all of the resorts reported a positive business outlook in 2002.
Freeman Chung (
Tonho Development's target customers are upper class business executives who are willing to pay NT$850,000 for a life-long membership to their four Tonho country resorts and eight city clubs in Taiwan.
"The spending behavior of the customers has changed with the economic outlook. People now are restricting their expenditures," he said. Chung also blamed the outflow of Taiwanese businesses for the company's sliding sales.
However, Chung said that the outlook for the next year is expected to improve as economy recovers, and the company will shift its marketing focus and introduce a lower-price membership card at the beginning of next year.
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