Source: People's Daily Central Kitchen-River and Moon Talk Studio
"There were a few days ago in mainland China, but there were not many mainland tourists visiting the stalls. The business is not easy to do now!" Recently, when talking about the passenger flow during the National Day, a stall owner selling grilled squid in Taipei Ningxia Night Market seemed helpless. However, a few months ago, the reporter visited the Ningxia night market many times. Every time he went there, he would see groups of mainland tourists visiting stalls and buying souvenirs, and the business of the merchants was also quite prosperous. The gap is so big that it is amazing.
Due to well-known reasons, the mainland has suspended the application for mainland tourists to to travel to Taiwan from August 1st to . Under the influence of the general environment, the number of inland tourists in the island fell sharply during the National Day holiday this year, almost "collapse". Taiwan's tourism industry has suffered heavy losses and the miserable misfortune is everywhere.
After the number of mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan decreased, the once crowded Sun Moon Lake became very deserted. Photo by Chai Yifei
set the worst record for 11 in 6 years
According to statistics from Taiwan’s “Ministry of Transportation and Tourism Bureau” and “Ministry of the Interior Immigration Agency”, the average number of tourists to Taiwan on the daily basis during this year’s National Day was 3,470, a sharp drop of 70% compared with the same period in previous years, which is equivalent to a decrease of nearly 9,000 people per day, setting a record for the number of tourists to Taiwan during the National Day holiday in 11 years.
Look at the data from the previous few months. In July, there were 310,000 mainland tourists visiting Taiwan, a slight decrease of 280,000 in August, and a sharp drop in September, with only 110,000 mainland tourists visiting Taiwan for sightseeing, which is a terrible sightseeing. Although
is already "miserable", the worst situation has not yet arrived. Officials from relevant departments of the Taiwan authorities said that many mainland tourists planned to travel to Taiwan during the National Day holiday earlier, so they had obtained an entry certificate for before August 1. As time goes by, fewer and fewer mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan in individual travel, and it is expected that they will completely return to zero in late October. It can be said that the National Day has been the last wave of "prosperity" for mainland tourists to travel to Taiwan recently, and the situation will be even worse from now until the end of the year.
In addition to the number of mainland tourists traveling in individuals, the number of mainland tourists traveling in groups is also increasing. Data shows that the average number of mainland tourists who went to Taiwan with a group in August this year was 2,600 per day, and in September, there were only 660 per day, and during the National Day holiday, there were only 870 per day. The industry on the island is concerned that the number of mainland tourists on the island will be smaller after the holiday.
Tourism operators on the island have taken to the streets many times to demand that the DPP authorities improve cross-strait relations. (Data picture)
practitioners are planning to go to the streets
The number of mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan has dropped sharply, and the tourism industry on the island has been severely impacted. According to a survey by the Taiwan "Ministry of Transportation Tourism Bureau", the average daily consumption of one mainland customer in Taiwan in 2018 was US$211.68. If the average 8-day stay in Taiwan by mainland tourists, more than 60,000 mainland tourists were missing on the island this year on the National Day, and the total number of tourism foreign exchange income in Taiwan 3 NT$4 was reduced.
Another tourism industry operator evaluated that in the four months from September to December, there were only about 370,000 mainland tourists to Taiwan. In these four months alone, Taiwan's tourism industry has decreased by about NT$26.9 billion from the same period last year.
"Because mainland tourists are restricted from going to Taiwan, tourism operators on the island have clearly felt the decline in business. Recently, a Kaohsiung tour bus driver chose to commit suicide because his business fell too much, which is sad." Lin Jianliang, chairman of the Taiwan Tour Bus Commercial Association, said sadly.
Xu Guanbin, chairman of the Taiwan Tourism Tour Guide Association, revealed that many tour guides have come to the association to complain recently because they are almost facing the situation where there is no group to lead. Without business, the tour guides will lose their jobs and the family's livelihood will become a problem. "A tour guide suggested that you go out to protest before the end of the year, because this wave of tourism recession has affected 40,000 to 50,000 families in the tour guide circle."
Some industry insiders revealed that in addition to Baodeli, travel agencies on the island that specialize in mainland tourists, have previously announced major layoffs, and now some industry insiders have decided to give employees unpaid leave. The entire tourism industry is shrouded in dark clouds. In the past, when mainland tourists had a craze for traveling to Taiwan, from the "Father of the Nation Memorial Hall", Taipei Forbidden City to Building 101, every place was crowded with tour buses carrying mainland tourists, and the business of the scenic spot was booming.Nowadays, all of these attractions are deserted, with tourism operators closing their doors from north to south.
Due to the decrease in mainland tourists, business is difficult to do. Taxi drivers on the island put on the word "hard" to express their thoughts. (Data picture)
issuance of subsidies is not helpful.
For the tragic situation of the island's tourism industry, the Taiwan authorities have launched an island's tourism subsidy plan, which has invested more than NT$5 billion since September 1. However, tourism operators on the island do not recognize this move and believe that it cannot fundamentally solve the problems faced by the tourism industry on the island.
Taipei University of Science and Technology Assistant Professor of Tourism Department of Taipei City University of Science and Technology said that the Taiwan authorities use autumn and winter tourism subsidies to respond to the decrease in mainland tourists' travel to Taiwan, and it seems that the response is timely. In fact, they are just announcing the plans they originally intended to implement in advance and appease the people's hearts. The so-called emergency tourism subsidies have become a long-term plan and may not have any substantial help to the tourism industry.
"The authorities have proposed to subsidize taxis for renewal and exempt the fuel fee of the tour bus for one year. Isn't this a drop in the bucket? If a tour bus can carry guests around the island for 8 days, the income it generates has long exceeded the amount of the fuel fee subsidy." Speaking of the content of the subsidy plan, the Wang operator on the island said angrily that using taxpayers' money to subsidize the tourism industry is equivalent to taking money from the left pocket to the right pocket, and Taiwan still has not increased its tourism income. What is important is not subsidies, but to open up the market.
In addition, Xiao Boren, chairman of the Taiwan Federation of Travel Association, believes that the mainland and Taiwan have similar cultures and languages, and the mainland tourists have strong consumption capacity. They are willing to invest in financial resources in tasting food and buying souvenirs, which has a great driving effect on the island's tourism industry. By increasing tourists from other countries and regions to fill the gap in mainland tourists, even if the number of people increases, the consumption amount may not increase, and the income of operators is still difficult to increase.
On the island public opinion believes that the decrease in the number of mainland tourists traveling to Taiwan and the impact of the tourism industry on the island lies in cross-strait relations. If the DPP authorities continue to create cross-strait confrontation and conflict, undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and take the wrong path in the general direction, then no matter how many measures they have introduced "small repairs and minor repairs" will be of no help.
In order to save the crisis of Taiwan's tourism industry, the Taiwan authorities launched "night market coupons" in an attempt to stimulate night market consumption. (Data picture)
