TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The average price of a room per day in licensed tourist hotels surged to NT$4,618 (US$144), an increase of over 14% compared to the same period last year.
In a press release on Wednesday (Sept. 6), the Tourism Bureau announced that the average daily rate in hotels licensed for tourists during the first half of 2023 has risen to NT$4,618, an increase of NT$572 compared with the average room price of NT$4,046 in 2022, representing a 14.14% increase.
The average daily room rate for "general hotels" has risen to NT$2,647, an increase of NT$198 or about 8.1% compared with the NT$2,449 rate seen in 2022. As for bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation, the daily rate has gone up to NT$2,536, an increase of NT$36 or 1.44% compared with the 2022 rate of NT$2,500.
The main difference between a tourist hotel and a general hotel is that tourist hotels require a license from the Tourism Bureau to serve tourists, while general hotels only require a standard business license.
The Tourism Bureau stated that the increase in the average room rate is attributed to the rising cost of various raw materials. In the first half of 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 2.32% compared to the same period in 2022, with a 2.85% increase in the services category.
Additionally, the monthly minimum wage has been gradually increased from NT$23,100 in 2020 to NT$26,400 in 2023. Furthermore, the recent electricity price hikes have also pushed up operating costs for the hospitality industry, including accommodation, dining, and other leisure facilities.
As for the most expensive tourist hotels by region in Taiwan, the Tourism Bureau stated that Nantou County has the highest average daily room rate at NT$15,449 per day. This is because many of the tourist hotels in the county, such as "The Lalu" and "Fleur de Chine," primarily cater to high-end clientele, the bureau said.
In terms of the most expensive general hotels, Yilan County has the highest average room rates at NT$3,474 per day. Yilan County has 239 general hotels, of which 79 are hot spring resorts or vacation hotels with higher-than-average room rates.
In addition, the Tourism Bureau pointed out that the total number of guests in Taiwan's lodging industry in the first half of the year was approximately 38.08 million, approaching pre-COVID pandemic levels. The revenue in the first half of 2023 reached NT$84.84 billion, surpassing the level seen over the same period in 2019.
