The Kaohsiung Department of Tourism last week defended its estimate that a yellow duck art installation earlier this year generated about NT$14 billion (US$431.83 million) in profits.
The inflatable yellow ducks were set afloat in Kaohsiung’s Love River (愛河) Bay on Jan. 27 for 30 days as part of the Kaohsiung Wonderland festival.
It was the second time the artworks, created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, visited Taiwan.
Photo courtesy of the Kaohsiung City Government
The department had estimated that the month-long installation drew about 9 million people and generated NT$14 billion in profits.
However, some Kaohsiung city councilors said the numbers were absurd.
The department said its estimate was not exaggerated, adding that it was conservative in its evaluations.
National tourism value equations are based on average expenses, not total sales, it said.
Based on a 2022 Tourism Administration report, an average visitor, excluding room and transportation expenses, spends NT$1,158 at a tourist spot, while those who need one night of accommodation spend NT$5,736 on average, meaning the total average is NT$2,316, it said.
Telecom statistics showed that the installation drew about 9 million travelers, the department said, adding that about 60 percent, or 5.4 million, of the visitors were residents of Kaohsiung and surrounding areas.
The department said it arrived at NT$14 billion by estimating that local visitors on average spent NT$1,158 per person, while others spent NT$2,316 per person.
If it had applied the Tourism Administration’s estimates for expenses, which were NT$5,316 for visitors coming from outside of Kaohsiung who do not spend the night in the area and NT$5,736 for those who stayed overnight, the expected profit margins would stand at NT$25 billion to NT26 billion, it said.
The department said that its concert-related income estimate was also conservative, basing its average profit margin at NT$4.5 billion on the lowest average room price of NT$3,000.
Kaohsiung hosted 117 concerts last year, drawing 1.39 million people, the department said.
It said it estimated that locals — half of the crowd — spent about NT$1,158 on average.
Including outsiders, the concerts generated total profit of about NT$4.78 billion, it said.
Based on telecom companies’ statistics, all scenic areas in Kaohsiung saw a 20 to 50 percent increase in visitors before and after the concerts, it said.
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,
RSS