Taiwan and Chinese Tourists: The Final Truth?

I posted several times about the willing of the Taiwanese government to develop the Chinese tourism in Taiwan (all policies are now toward China), whatever the price.

It seems that tourists from other countries are not very important even though they are the majority…

So a lot of million is spent for that, even though I don’t know who really get the money…

The government claimed that 3,000 Chinese tourists will come.

Since the policy was implemented on July 4 last year, only about 360,000 tourists from China had visited the country, or around 1,000 per day, much less than the government’s promise of 3,000.

About 3.5 million Taiwanese visited China in the same period, 10 times the figure for Chinese tourists…

The government claimed that Chinese tourists would bring NT$60 billion in revenue per year.

According the today’s news (HERE):

[…]

according to the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration, Chinese tourists spent on average NT$1,500 per day between January and last month, similar to what the average foreign tourist spent in the 1970s

[…]

So officials are blaming whatever: H1N1, crisis… just name it.

And the president added:

[…]

There’s nothing wrong with the situation now and I believe we will attract more Chinese tourists when the tourism industry is ready. Chinese tourists are very interested in visiting Taiwan

[…]

So of course, once more time, he was misunderstood but he is right…

Does he listen the professionals (HERE):

[…]

Meanwhile, travel agencies complained in a separate meeting that their partner travel agencies in China often write checks payable only after three to six months, causing them tremendous financial pressure

[…]

Obviously according professionals, Chinese tourists provide mode trouble than  praise…

[…]

Other hotel operators said that while it was not news that guests often steal towels and slippers, they still found it quite shocking that Chinese tourists would take shoe brushes, shoe horns, hangers and even closet door knobs away

[…]

Don’t they understand that the problem is not the quantity, but the quality?

Beside, even if 3,000 or 5,000 (as expected by the government) Chinese tourists come to Taiwan every day, staying for example 7 days, do your math. Most of the beautiful spots in Taiwan are not prepared for such a big number of visitors.

When the president said that more Chinese will come when the tourism industry is ready, does he mean to destroy the environment to let the way to more buses, more parking lot, more hotels? So in Alishan area, it will mean to destroy one part of the forest.

… just to please his ego by increasing the Chinese visitors number.

They don’t understand: by playing the quantity, they will destroy the environment and the beauty of Taiwan (kill the chicken which provides golden eggs) and that, for a poor result as mentioned by the professionals (see above: low level of spending, very bad behavior…).

By playing the quality, they will focus on the environment, keeping and even improving the beauty of the island and improving the quality of the services provided by the tourist industry.

They will attract tourists more respectful and with a higher level of spending.

Finally, the tourism industry will by this way, increase its added value.

That is pure common sense.

But does the government use its common sense concerning its economic decision?

Taipei Times Editorial Cartoon.

Taiwan is an island. Not a big country as US or China. Once the eco-system is destroyed, who will come to visit here?

 

Mots clés Technorati : Taiwan,Tourism,China,Politics,Environment,fvarga