Reported by Icy Chen
Driving around Kaohsiung these days gives the impression that Taiwan’s second major city is not doing as well as it used to be. Many shop fronts stay shuttered and even in the fancy shopping district near Kaohsiung Arena, the high-end stores are largely empty. While a record 11.84 million visitors traveled around the island last year, according to the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan, a seven percent increase compared over 2018, the number of mainland visitors fell by an average of 50.9% from September to November. Mainland authorities banned self-guided tours to Taiwan in August and travelers can only visit as officially organized groups.
Hoping to improve the tourism industry, both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) have put forward their own tourism policies. The DPP wants to bring in tourists other than the ones from mainland China. “We do not accept cooperation with the other side as a premise,” said DPP Kaohsiung legislator, Lin Chih-hung. But the KMT hopes to negotiate with the mainland, gradually relax the control over group tourists and individual travellers and increase the number of visitors from the mainland over times.
“What Taiwan needs most is neither hardware nor software, but the flow of incoming tourists”, said Lin Chiang-chuan, vice president of the Cultural Heritage Committee of the KMT. “In order to support the tourism economies, there must be people coming to the island.”
“If there is no way to solve this problem (lack of incoming visitors), no matter how delicious the food is or how well our travelling resources are, we still can't boost the tourism economy”, he added.
The drop in the number of mainland tourists is having an impact on certain tourism related businesses. Mr. Li, who runs a car rental shop in the seaside town of Kenting, relies on mainland customers. Since August, renters are few and far between.
“I mostly establish business with individual tourists, so it did (have a great impact)”, said Li, “In fact, these months are also the off-season of Tainan's tourism industry. Plus, the presidential election is coming, so the impact (on the number of tourists) is significant”, he added.
In Liu He night market, a popular tourist spot in Kaohsiung, the food stalls are also feeling the pinch. “We used to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month,” said Yang Li-ya, a roast seafood stand owner at the market, “but we have been losing money every day since August after Beijing banned free travel.”
“For those who need to feed their families, they are really suffering”, Yang said.
Kaohsiung legislator of the DPP Jheng Mong-ru, is trying to revive the night markets. “The night markets in Taiwan do not rely on tourists, but on the domestic needs of Taiwanese”, she explained. “If we create local branding, then the tourists will go to our night markets to experience our culture. In order to cater to the tastes of Chinese mainland tourists, some shop owners changd their food and as a result, lost the ‘local’ touch”.
The popular Rui Feng night market, she thinks, exemplifies how going local is key. “Taiwanese people are still going there. So if you just want to attract tourists, business will fall,” Jheng concluded.
With days to go before the presidential election, many shops at Liu He night market display slogans in support of Kaohsiung mayor, Han Kuo-yu’s bid to become president. “Only by supporting him can tourists come in and help the whole street”, Jiang Pie-pie, an eighteen-year-old beef noodles shop stand owner said.
Ruifeng night market serves mainly local people and does not cater specially for mainland visitors.
Liu He night market in Kaohsiung is less lively then it used to be after the mainland banned self-guided tours to Taiwan.
A stall at Liu He night market in support of Kaohsiung mayor, Han Kuo-yu’s presidential bid.
Mr. Li does not think the government should be blamed for the recent drop in the number of tourists.
“I don't think the government is responsible, because it's not the result of some unilateral policy”, said Li, “but a good government should really understand people's difficulties rather than just talk with no action.”
“For example, they should investigate what is lacking and what needs to be repaired when developing tourism at a specific location”, Li explained.
Car rental owner Mr. Li hopes the government to strengthen publicity on Taiwan tourism and provide better infrastructure to ease travel.
Kaohsiung legislator Lin Chih-hung has high hopes for a new cruise terminal. “It is expected to be completed in two to three years.” The completion of the port will enable tourists to take large cruise ships to come to Kaohsiung.
“This will bring new business opportunities and a new direction of development toward cruise tourism”, said Lin.
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