The Pingtung County Government is hoping to boost local tourism amid a slump through a series of concerts and other cultural events, Pingtung County Commissioner Chou Chun-mi (周春米) said.
Pingtung, which in the past was a summer hotspot with tourists flocking to beaches on the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) and in the Haikou (海口) coastal area of Checheng Township (車城), is facing its most severe tourism crisis in decades, government statistics showed.
The annual Haikou Festival — a beach festival with concerts, food and art installations that wrapped up on Saturday — drew more than 10,000 people, and the county government is hoping to build on that success with the Hengchun Heat International Music Festival on Aug. 1, to be held at Kenting National Park’s Dawan Beach (大灣), Chou said.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
“These back-to-back events are part of an intensive campaign to counteract the sluggish summer travel we are seeing this year,” she said. “We hope to inject new life into local tourism and appeal to concertgoers.”
However, the flurry of events has also sparked concerns among local residents and business owners.
Since April, the region has hosted four large-scale events, including the Taiwan Music Festival, Kenting Song, a concert by singer Hebe Tien (田馥甄) and the recent Haikou Festival.
Some worry that the oversaturation of music festivals could lead to “concert fatigue” and diminishing returns, one hotel owner said.
“Honestly, we hate to rain on the government’s parade, but having music festivals every month with the same vibe is starting to wear thin,” they said.
“Events like the ‘Embrace the Universe’ stargazing event, and the Pingtung Wind Festival event celebrating indigenous culture had much broader appeal and left a longer-lasting impact,” they said.
Chou said she “remains optimistic,” and is banking on a “dual strategy” combining cultural events with promotional campaigns like the Hengchun Travel Go Festival to drive traffic and spending.
The influx of visitors drawn by music festivals, coupled with special offers and promotions, would help local hotels and businesses rebound from a grim summer season, she said.
“With the right incentives, these events can provide a much-needed boost to the local economy,” she added.
However, hotel occupancy rates for this month have barely surpassed 50 percent, and early bookings for next month have plummeted to about 30 percent. The combined impact of Typhoon Danas, rising inflation and a strong wave of outbound travel has left Kenting hotels struggling, the hotel owner said.
“Our costs have doubled — especially electricity — but domestic tourists have dropped by more than half,” they said.
“Handing out NT$10,000 in cash might sound appealing, but it is like fireworks — it disappears in an instant,” they said, referring to legislation recently passed by opposition lawmakers. “What we need are stimulus measures that encourage spending in key sectors such as tourism.”
In response to the downturn, Howard Beach Resort Kenting installed a 2m statue of the Transformers character Bumblebee, hoping to appeal to fans of the movie franchise.
“It’s a hit with families and a way to stand out,” hotel manager Chang Chi-kuang (張積光) said.
“We hope for more government support, because if the domestic tourism industry collapses, it would take down the entire supply chain. We need to treat this like we did during the COVID-19 pandemic — with serious attention and resources,” he said.
Caesar Park Kenting is also trying new ideas to attract guests, offering early-bird deals, loyalty packages and “stay three nights, get one free” promotions.
With visitor numbers at a 41-year low, the operators of the two hotels said they hope for immediate, targeted action from the government, adding that it is needed to ensure the future of southern Taiwan’s once-thriving tourism hub.
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