Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) The average daily rate of licensed tourist hotels in Taiwan was NT$4,618 (US$145) in the first half of 2023, up 14.14 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics released by the Tourism Bureau Wednesday.
Prices at registered "general hotels," which do not require a tourist hotel license, averaged US$2,647 per night in the first six months of this year, up 8.1 percent from a year earlier, while the prices of B&Bs averaged NT$2,536, up 1.44 percent year-on-year, the bureau said in a statement.
The bureau said that the average hotel room price hikes could be attributed in part to soaring raw material prices.
Taiwan's consumer price index (CPI) in the first half of this year increased 2.32 percent from a year earlier, while the monthly basic wage was increased year-on-year over the past few years, from NT$23,100 in 2019 to NT$26,400 in 2023, according to the bureau.
In addition, higher electricity prices also boosted hotel operational costs, the bureau said.
The bureau said that by region, tourist hotels in Nantou County had the highest average prices at NT$15,449 per night, largely due to the presence of hotels targeting high-end customers, such as "The Lalu" and "Fleur de Chine."
In terms of general hotels, Yilan had the highest average room prices at NT$3,474 per night, the bureau added.
Meanwhile, the number of guests at hotels and other collective accommodation establishments in Taiwan reached 38.08 million in the January to June period, which is close to pre-pandemic levels, the bureau said.
The guest number translated into NT$84.84 billion in total business revenue, exceeding the amount in the same period of 2019, according to the bureau.
