Affected by various factors, the tourism industry in Nantou County, Taiwan has plummeted, and the yacht and cable car business in the famous Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area has been the most affected. The average number of tourists has dropped by about 50%. The picture shows the corner of Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area.

Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhu Xiang

"The spring breeze blows away the early cherry blossoms." The Nine Ethnic Group Cherry Blossom Festival in 2020 kicked off recently at the Nine Ethnic Cultural Village by the Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan.

Cherry blossom viewing is an annual event that celebrates spring in Sun Moon Lake. Thousands of Taiwanese cherry blossoms and Japanese cherry blossoms bloom in the Jiuzu Cultural Village, and the park is covered with a pink veil, like a fantasy wonderland. There are many kinds of cherry blossoms or crimson or pale pink in the daytime, and they are clustered together, soft and bright; at night, the cherry blossoms turn into a rainbow, colorful and dazzling, making the lovers linger.

The staff told reporters that this year's Spring Festival cold weather is coming, the weather is humid and cold, and the cherry blossoms open earlier than in previous years. Of the 5,000 cherry blossoms, Yae Sakura bloomed the earliest. About 40% of the cherry blossoms bloomed at the end of January. Yoshino cherry blossoms were a little later. Fuji Cherry Blossoms on the Cherry Blossom Avenue were still budding. Today, all cherry blossoms in the park are in full bloom.

On the day when the reporter arrived, although the sky was drizzling and the spring was cold, it was difficult to stop tourists from enjoying the flowers. Under the cherry tree, your couple and your family, helping the elderly and the young, have picked up the camera and mobile phone, excitedly "in the same frame" with the flowers.

According to reports, the Nine Ethnic Group Cherry Blossom Festival, which has entered its 20th year this year, is the largest and most long-lasting cherry blossom viewing event in Taiwan. In order to attract tourists, in addition to many performances such as the Nine-Family Night Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossom Market, Cherry Tea Party, Small Farmers Market, and Taiko Popup, the park also holds a cherry blossom photography competition with a total value of 900,000 yuan (TWD) , And launched cherry blossom meals.

The pink cherry blossoms are refreshing, but the sharp decline in the number of tourists has frowned on business and tourism. In the parking lot of Jiuzu Culture Village, almost all are self-driving cars. In the past, no buses loaded with mainland tourists were found. There are not many tourists such as the Datehao Water Walk, Ci En Pagoda Trail, Xiangcha Lane in Yuchi Township, and Xuanguang Temple and Xuan Zang Temple, etc. In the past, the "check-in points" where people had to wait in line to take pictures are now deserted and lonely in the rain and rain.

Another area of ​​Sun Moon Lake, "Shuishe Wharf", is also a Monaco Luoque. Mr. Lin, the owner of the restaurant, said that since the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, Lu Ke has sharply decreased and business is not easy to do. Last year's personal travel stopped, and the new crown pneumonia epidemic this year has hit the restaurant business.

Mr. Cai, who opened a homestay nearby, said that due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the occupancy rate fell by 60% in these two months, and many online booking guests cancelled their orders. The authorities have previously introduced subsidy measures, but the results have been limited. "The flowering season of Sun Moon Lake is beautiful. Such a beautiful scenery should be appreciated by more mainland tourists, otherwise it would be a pity."

Lin Zhiying, chairman of the Nantou County Tourism Industry Alliance Association, said that due to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, people's willingness to travel abroad has decreased, and Nantou County is facing a severe test. Due to the clustering space, the yacht and cable car business of Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area is the first to bear the brunt, and the number of tourists has dropped by about 50% on average. Due to the sharp decline in the tourist population of hot spring baths and guesthouses, only 30% to 50% of the past are left, leaving the industry unsure how Through this winter of sightseeing.

Similar tragedies are not unique to Sun Moon Lake, and hot spots in Taiwan are sympathetic. According to Taiwan media reports, some varieties of cherry blossoms in Alishan, Chiayi have begun to bloom, and the flower condition in Shijie area is in good condition. However, due to the epidemic, many travellers who received group visitors were miserable. Deng Yayuan, the person in charge of Longyun Villa, said that more than 50% of the group canceled this month because the public was worried that taking a tour bus would increase the risk of infection. It is hoped that the government ’s rescue plan for tourism will be released as soon as possible.

Although it is currently the off-season for Kenting, due to the stop of personal travel to Taiwan from the mainland and the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the accommodation rate is 30% lower than the same period last year. Many travel and lodging companies offer low-cost accommodation, hoping to reduce losses, even five-star The hotel also introduced a discounted price of 2992 yuan for a 4-person room. Yeliu Geopark in New Taipei City had about 7,000 people to visit the park in the past holidays, and there are only 700 left. It is estimated that the total number of park visitors in February is only 30,000, and the revenue has been reduced from 2.4 million yuan to 240,000 yuan.

The Kaohsiung tour bus industry has reported that two or three companies have given drivers unpaid leave because only 10% of the car is left. The performance of local taxi companies also fell by 50 to 70%. The industry is miserable, lamenting "not a miserable word", and hope that the authorities will introduce supporting measures for rescue as soon as possible.

"I hope the epidemic will end soon, and compatriots on both sides of the strait will be safe." Mr. Lin, the owner of the restaurant, said that the authorities should take more rescue measures and help us quickly, otherwise business will not have to be done. The key to saving the tourism industry is to improve cross-strait relations and allow mainland tourists to come in more.

(Xinhua News Agency, Taipei)