Hotel Industry
Hotel and Guesthouse Guidance and Management
The Tourism Bureau continued to conduct regular inspections and supervise local governments in implementing hotel administration actions to assist them in improving hotel management results. In 2021, local governments inspected 7,650 hotels (including 5,774 licensed hotels, 233 unlicensed hotels, and 1,643 daily rental suites)
The bureau also arranged assessment and selection activities to improve the quality of the hotel industry and establish the "Star Hotel" and "Taiwan Hosts" brand image. As of the end of 2021, there were 403 star-rated hotels and 1,168 Taiwan Host certified guest houses.
Assisting Quality Improvement in the Hotel Industry
To continue encouraging the hotel industry to create a friendly and smart service space, improve service quality, and provide high-quality accommodations for domestic and international visitors, the Tourism Bureau promoted the Guidelines on Subsidies of the Tourism Bureau, MOTC to Incentivize Quality Improvements in the Hotel Industry. Under the guidelines, the bureau provided subsidies to hotels to create Muslim-friendly facilities, barrier-free guest rooms, and accessible facilities, purchase self-service check-in counters, hotel facilities planning and updating, and adoption of enterprise resource management (ERP) or property management systems (PMS) to link operational data to the TaiwanStay website. The bureau also provided incentives for star hotels to join domestic, international, and innovative local hotel chain brands. In November 2021, Point 8-1 was added to allow subsidies for initial purchases of sanitation doors (walk-through gates and chambers) by tourist hotels and general hotels; and Point 8-2 was added for initial assessments of earthquake resistance. As of 2021, the bureau handled about 990 applications for a total amount of more than NT$215 million.
On July 22, 2021, the Tourism Bureau promulgated the amended the Directions for Tourism Bureau, MOTC Revitalization of Financing Credit, Guaranteed Loans, and Interest Subsidies for the Tourism Industry to help businesses with insufficient collateral to obtain financing. As of 2021, a total of 1,225 tourism businesses applied for NT$9.78 billion in financing loans. The program helped tourism businesses to renovate or upgrade services and facilities. A total of 272 tourism businesses obtained preferential loans totaling NT$12.53 billion. Additionally, 126 interest subsidies were provided, totaling NT$329 million.
Continuing to Promote COVID Quarantine Hotels and Assisting the Transformation of City Hotels
To handle the rapid increase in the number of people under home quarantine or isolation, the Tourism Bureau, in conjunction with CECC, continued to promote the conversion of hotels for quarantine use. On January 25, March 26, June 8, November 5, and November 29, 2021, the bureau promulgated the amended Guidelines for Incentives by Municipal and County (City) Governments to Promote Quarantine Accommodations to accelerate the establishment of COVID quarantine hotels. In 2021, assistance was provided for 303,000 people to stay at COVID quarantine hotels (bringing the cumulative total since 2020 to 414,000 people).
Hotel occupancy rates plunged at some urban area hotels due to COVID-related border closings. However, operations remained steady at hotels offering quarantine rooms. The Tourism Bureau also provided subsidies for COVID quarantine hotels as another option for urban hotels to transform operations and contribute to the fight against COVID.
Promoting Bicycle-friendly Accommodations
The Tourism Bureau brought together hotel operators to promote "bicycle-friendly accommodations" to encourage people to travel by bicycle, resolve the problem of hotel car parking, and strengthen bicycle tourism support services. In April 2021, the bureau held a vote to select popular bicycle-friendly accommodations in the northern, central, southern, eastern, and outlying island areas of Taiwan for marketing and promotion. The public enthusiastically participated in the 10-day flash vote, with nearly 90,000 votes cast.
With assistance from the Tourism Bureau, more than 870 hotels joined the bicycle-friendly accommodation network and provided relevant information on the TaiwanStay and Taiwan Bike websites. Accommodations can be searched by county, city, or the 16 themed cycling routes on the Bike-Friendly Accommodation page.
