DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Typhoon Disrupts Summer Bookings at Taiwan's Guguan Hot Springs, Leaving Resorts Quiet

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • The popular Guguan hot spring resort area in Taiwan is experiencing a severe slump in summer bookings, with weekend reservations completely canceled due to Typhoon Ba-wei.
  • Overall summer bookings for Guguan are below 40%, significantly lower than other mountain resorts like Lishan, highlighting its heavy reliance on the autumn and winter seasons.
  • Resort operators are urging the government to invest more marketing resources into promoting Guguan during the summer to help the area overcome its off-season challenges.

The Guguan hot spring resort area in Taiwan is facing a dismal summer tourism season, with bookings plummeting and weekend reservations canceled due to the impact of Typhoon Ba-wei. The area's already weak summer performance has been exacerbated by the storm, leading to overall booking rates below 40%, a stark contrast to other mountain destinations.

Resort operators report that Guguan's summer tourism is significantly less robust than its autumn and winter seasons, which are traditionally popular for hot spring visits. This year, while Lishan has seen around 60% bookings for its hotel and Dasyueshan has reached 80%, Guguan's occupancy rate has struggled to reach 40%. This seasonal dependency leaves the resort vulnerable during the warmer months, with many domestic tourists opting for overseas travel.

Although domestic tourism is sluggish, Guguan's room rates are relatively low among domestic hot spring areas.

— Yin Jinglun, Chairman of the Guguan Hot Spring Business Circle Management CommitteeHighlighting the affordability of Guguan despite low visitor numbers.

To combat this trend, the Guguan Hot Spring Business Circle Management Committee is appealing for increased government marketing support specifically for the summer period. They suggest that the government should develop more attractive themed activities and utilize promotional funds more effectively to draw visitors. Currently, major promotional campaigns like "Taiwan's Best Hot Springs" are slated to begin only in September, missing the crucial summer window.

The Sanshan National Scenic Area Administration has acknowledged the need for promotion, stating that they will launch Guguan's autumn and winter campaigns in September, featuring hot spring experiences, accommodation, hiking, and indigenous culture. They also mentioned summer hiking activities connecting to nearby attractions. Meanwhile, Lishan is promoting its summer tourism with events like the "Lishan Forest Life Festival" in July and a "Lishan Peach Run" in August. However, the immediate concern remains Guguan's quiet summer, with operators hoping for a shift in strategy to boost off-season tourism.

We hope the central and local governments will invest more marketing resources in the summer to help the area overcome the off-season.

— Yin Jinglun, Chairman of the Guguan Hot Spring Business Circle Management CommitteeRequesting government support for summer tourism promotion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog