Tourism departments in seven counties are to propose measures to improve their management of hotels and bed and breakfast services after they obtained “B” or “C” grades in the Tourism Bureau’s annual evaluation.
The evaluation, which was conducted from December last year to January, examines how a locality manages registered and unregistered hotels, and whether a city or county enforces measures to ensure the availability of safe accommodation, the bureau said.
The inspection team, which was made up of experts from a range of fields, gave an “A+” rating to Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Hsinchu City, as well as Taitung and Lienchiang counties, the bureau said.
Keelung, and Pingtung and Kinmen counties received an “A” grade, while Kaohsiung, New Taipei City, Chiayi City, and Chiayi and Yilan counties were rated “A-” for hotel management.
Changhua, Hualien and Penghu counties were given a “B,” while Yunlin, Hsinchu, Nantou and Miaoli counties received a “C” grade.
Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) said that local governments play a key role, as they can ensure that consumers and legal hoteliers are protected.
The number of cities and counties that received an “A-” or better increased to 15 this year from 10 a year earlier.
The seven counties that failed to secure at least an “A-” grade this year would be given a deadline by which to propose improvement measures, the bureau said.
The bureau added that it would supervise and assist them to overcome the difficulties they face.
Cities and counties that obtained an “A+” rating have creative ways to manage unregistered hotels, the bureau said.
Taipei, and Lienchiang and Taitung counties had organized platforms or seminars to offer consultations to hoteliers who intend to register their operations, it said.
The Taoyuan City Government assists bed and breakfast service providers in indigenous villages in securing an operating license through amendments to regulations and changes in zoning plans, it said.
Tainan, Taichung and Hsinchu focus on cracking down on illegal hoteliers, but Taichung also promotes the certification of low-carbon hotels, it added.
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