TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hualien’s tourism industry could suffer following the earthquake on Wednesday (April 3), according to Hualien Tourism Association head Chen I-feng (陳義豐).

Chen said in a CNA interview on Sunday (April 7) that Hualien’s tourism industry could lose as much as NT$5.3 billion (US$165 million). The Hualien head of tourism also reported that business opportunities during the Tomb Sweeping holiday largely disappeared.

Chen cited Tourism Administration statistics, saying the average expenditure per overnight tourist was NT$5,736 in 2022. “With approximately 17,000 hotel rooms in Hualien and an estimated original occupancy of about 60% in April, the estimated revenue of NT$5.3 billion may be completely gone,” he said.

Additionally, the hotel booking rate could be as low as 10%, Chen said.

Silks Place Taroko in Hualien said the earthquake has greatly affected its operations and will be closed until April 30, CNA reported. Azure Hotel Hualien also said it will be closed until June 30 and will renovate some of its facilities.

As for when tourism in Hualien can recover, Chen cited the earthquake on Feb. 6, 2018 as an example, saying that subsidies were obtained from the government for group and individual travelers, leading to a resurgence in tourism in early April. “If recovery can be achieved within two months, summer business opportunities could be saved,” he said.

Chen stressed that the key to tourism recovery requires cooperation from all sectors. Chen said he hopes that the government can provide subsidies to repair the city and revive tourism.