The global COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to Taiwan’s tourism industry, as well as the airline and restaurant businesses.
There are few visitors at the National Palace Museum these days, and few guests at Taipei’s fancy hotels either.
Amid the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world, Taiwan is seeing fewer tourists than before. The pandemic has hurt airlines and hotels. In February, big names in the airline and hospitality industries registered negative annual growth rates. Regent Taipei was down by 29%, Le Meridien Taipei by 48.7%, Taiwan’s flag carrier China Airlines by 24.8% and EVA Air by 34.6%.
An economist with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, Yang Jiao-hau, says a fast recovery like the one the tourism industry saw after the 2003 SARS outbreak is unlikely.
Restaurants have been hit hard too. In addition to the drop in business brought on by flagging tourism, restaurants are also struggling to attract local diners. Takeout and food delivery are the only potential bright spots, as concerned people opt to eat in- not out. Two leading restaurant chains, Wangsteak and Thai Town, are temporarily closed as a result.