Major local hotel chains reported a significant increase in sales of room and restaurant vouchers over the just-concluded Taipei International Travel Fair, which drew a record number of visitors this year.
The show attracted 384,834 visitors from Friday last week to Monday, up 2.14 percent from last year, Taiwan Visitors Association chairwoman Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) said on Monday.
As Taiwanese like to take advantage of the trade show to buy discounted travel-related products for the coming year, Formosa International Hotels Group (晶華酒店集團), the nation’s largest listed hospitality company by market value, sold about NT$150 million (US$4.92 million) of room and restaurant vouchers, an increase of 15 percent from last year.
The group’s communications officials said discounted coupons for the Regent Taipei’s (台北晶華酒店) buffet restaurant Brasserie (柏麗廳) sold out within three hours, with the line stretching for more than 2km, while coupons for its hot pot restaurant Mihan Honke (三燔本家), restaurant Thai Market (泰市場) and steakhouse Just Grill also increased by 10 to 15 percent.
Domestic luxury hotel operator My Humble House Hospitality Management Consulting Co (寒舍餐旅) said it sold NT$140 million of room and restaurant vouchers for its four brands — Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel (台北喜來登大飯店), Le Meridien Taipei (台北寒舍艾美酒店), Humble House Hotel Taipei (寒舍艾麗酒店) and the resort property Mu Jiaosi Hotel (礁溪寒沐) in Yilan.
Coupons for the buffet restaurants Kitchen 12 (十二廚) at Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel and Latest Recipe (探索廚房) at Le Meridien were especially popular, it said.
Leofoo Tourism Group (六福旅遊集團) said it sold NT$42 million of restaurant and room coupons, led by its theme park Leofoo Village Theme Park (六福村) and Leofoo Resort (六福莊) in Hsinchu County, up about 20 percent from a year earlier.
FDC International Hotels Corp (雲品國際) and affiliated L’ Hotel de Chine Group (雲朗觀光) estimated that sales generated from the travel fair rose about 10 percent, with room vouchers priced at NT$2,250 being the most popular item, as they allow buyers to stay at any Maison de Chine (兆品酒店), Chateau de Chine (翰品酒店) and Hotel Pin (品文旅) outlet.
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