Occupancy rates at Taiwan’s resort hotels near popular tourist areas rose substantially over the Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend, prompting health authorities to warn that crowds can compromise the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crowds packed tourist attractions in Hualien, Nantou, Pingtung and Yilan counties, as well as Tainan, over the four days, boosting occupancy at hotels such as Hotel Royal Chiaohsi (礁溪老爺大酒店) in Yilan, the Grand Cosmos Resort Ruisui (瑞穗天合) in Hualien, Fleur de Chine (日月潭雲品酒店) in Nantou County and Caesar Park Kenting (墾丁凱薩) to at least 80 percent, the hotels said.
The improvement at Hotel Royal Chiaohsi reflected its shifting focus from hot springs to outdoor packages, including hiking tours of Mount Matcha (抹茶山), as people assign more importance to health and wellness, chief executive officer Winston Shen (沈方正) said.
Fleur de Chine said its business has been resilient thanks to its location, with easy and quick access to walking and cycling paths around Sun Moon Lake, while the Grand Cosmos Resort reported nearly full occupancy at its location in a rich tract of greenery and ranches in Hualien’s Ruisui Township (瑞穗).
The warm weather and beaches of Pingtung drew a throng of visitors, benefiting occupancy at Caesar Park Kenting, but drastic cuts to room rates due to overseas travel restrictions also supported high occupancy rates.
However, the crowds raised concern over breaches of social distancing recommendations, prompting health authorities yesterday to advise people to stay home as much as possible for the next two weeks to avoid compromising the fight against COVID-19.
Some companies have asked employees to work from home if they or their family members visited the hot spots.
Lion Travel Service Co (雄獅旅行社) said it has asked employees to work from home if they traveled to the areas or came in contact with people who did, while Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) asked its employees to practice self-quarantine for 12 days if they visited the areas.
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