The Pokémon frenzy is back! "Pokémon GO City Safari" is set to take place in Tainan this weekend, coinciding with the Taiwan Lantern Festival, meaning the hotels are fully booked.
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Residents holding phones in hand, happily catching Pokémon, reminisce about the Pokémon GO event launched in Tainan six years ago, attracting crowds of players.
Pokémon GO players in 2018 came from different places like Thailand, the Philippines, and northern Keelung.
This year, the Pokémon craze sweeps through once again as Pokémon GO holds its first-ever “City Safari” event in Taiwan, choosing Tainan as the venue. The event, set to take place this weekend, is expected to draw a large crowd of trainers to the ancient city.
Upon entering hotels, players immediately turn on their phones for training sessions, eagerly anticipating the weekend ahead. Due to the Pokémon event, Tainan hotels are almost fully booked.
Whether it's hotels offering stunning city views, ones with swimming pools, or those with chefs preparing breakfast, booking rooms for the weekend is very challenging.
Staff from the Shangri-La Hotel, Just Sleep Tainan, and Silks Place Tainan say that despite being fully booked, they receive requests daily. Online hotel booking platforms, B&Bs, and business hotels are in equally high demand, with no availability left. Some room rates have even been increased by as much as NT$2000 (US$64) in a week.
With both the Taiwan Lantern Festival and the Pokémon craze going on in Tainan this weekend, brace yourself for increased crowds.