Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has asked Taiwan’s hotel and restaurant sector to implement price freezes. That’s according to Tourism Bureau head Chang Shi-chung, who was responding to questions at the legislature on Monday morning.
Lawmakers have raised concerns over rising prices in Taiwan’s hospitality sector. Taiwan’s consumer price index (CPI) grew by 2.58% year-on-year in October — the highest single-month hike in nearly nine years.
Chang says that for the most part, hotel accommodation prices have not changed. However, Chang said that due to labor shortages and raw material price increases, restaurants in Taiwan are feeling pressured to raise their prices.
Chang says that the bureau has spoken to hotel and restaurant industry leaders. It reminded them that unreasonable uniform price hikes go against government policy. Chang says the bureau has urged restaurants and hotels to not raise prices before Chinese New Year, one of Taiwan’s biggest shopping seasons.