The opening of National Freeway No. 6 in March 2009, cutting driving time between Taichung and Puli, has led to a tourism boom in central Taiwan and the construction of new hotels.
Hotels and bed and breakfasts in scenic areas such as Sun Moon Lake and the Ching Jing Veterans Farm are frequently fully booked during weekends and holidays, and they can hardly meet the demand. Even more commercially oriented hotels in Puli, which are located some distance from the major scenic areas and are not aimed at the tourist market, have witnessed a strong upturn in business.
As a result, some local hoteliers are extremely optimistic about the tourism industry in the area, and have therefore invested in the construction of large-scale commercial hotels. Completion of two hotels under construction on Puli's Shuren Road and Nanxing Street is expected next year, adding at least another 300 rooms to the market.
The hotel on Shuren Road covers a 3,300-square meter plot of land valued at NT$100 million (US$3.13 million). It will be built with structural steel, which will support one underground floor and 10 stories above. With construction costs of about NT$500 million, the building is one of the few private investments in the local tourism industry seen since the Sept. 21, 1999 earthquake that ravaged the area.
Industry sources stated that the hotels are expected to be completed in June of next year and will feature some 200 new suites. Plans call for hotels to be in the high-end price range. The hoteliers will also welcome bookings by tour groups. One of their expected sources of tourists is groups from mainland China.
(This article originally appeared Sept. 7 in The Liberty Times.)