A luxury hotel in Taichung has denigrated the nation’s sovereignty by listing its location as “Taiwan, China” on online booking sites, New Power Party (NPP) Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said yesterday, demanding that the Tourism Bureau investigate.
Chiu said he had received complaints that the Fairfield by Marriott Taichung hotel’s online site is registered in China and its address is written, in simplified Chinese, as “Taiwan, China.”
This is unacceptable, because it belittles Taiwan’s political status and undermines national sovereignty by reducing it to a province ruled by China, Chiu told a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
Photo: CNA
“There are also security concerns about data leaks and theft of personal information if Taiwanese make their bookings through the online site in China,” he said.
Chiu called for an investigation as the hotel had received government financial assistance under the “subsidy program for domestic travelers” launched in July and implemented by the Tourism Bureau.
The subsidy program, totaling NT$5.5 billion (US$178 million), was designed to help the hotel and hospitality sectors, as well as travel and tour agencies that were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program included lodging subsidies of up to NT$1,300 a night for individual travelers.
The public response was positive, with the average occupancy rate reaching 70 percent from July to the first week of September, the bureau said.
There have been similar complaints before, such as against Four Points by Sheraton Linkou hotel in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) in 2018, which also listed its location as “Taiwan, China,” Chiu said.
The bureau took action then, ordering the hotel to change its location and warning that it could revoke the hotel’s business license, Chiu added.
Tourism Bureau Director Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) said the travel subsidy program was administered by local authorities — in this case, by the Taichung City Government — and only legitimate premises with proper registrations and licenses could receive the subsidy.
Chang said he would check with the Taichung City Government first, while adding that Fairfield is a member of the international Marriotte hotel chain, which operates its own online site, and uses simplified characters to cater to the Chinese market.
“We will look into this issue, but we hope that international hotels operating in Taiwan adhere to the law and statutes of Taiwan,” he added.
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