Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) Shares in Taiwan closed slightly lower Friday after recouping most of the earlier losses caused by a plunge on U.S. markets overnight, in the wake of ongoing concerns over geopolitical tensions, dealers said.
Domestic outbreaks of COVID-19 this month have cast a shadow over the business outlook for hotels and restaurants as cancelations rose ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, the high season for the industry.
Formosa International Hotels Corp (FIH, 晶華國際酒店集團) said that 5 percent of bookings had been canceled at its restaurants and 10 percent at its banquet facilities, while some year-end banquets are being postponed until after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Additionally, 13 percent of room reservations had been canceled for this month and next, mainly by independent domestic tourists, while reservations by group tours had not been affected.
FIH, which
Heavyweight industrialists yesterday urged the government to step up efforts to ensure that the nation has a stable electricity supply, after a referendum proposal to restart construction at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant failed.
Representatives from the Taipei-based Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC, 工商協進會) shared their concerns at a breakfast meeting with key policymakers, including Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津).
CNAIC chairman Lin Por-fong (林伯豐) said he shared Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) founder Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) misgivings that there would be electricity shortages in the summer.
The government is lagging in its attempt to produce 20 percent of
Major hotels are eyeing an upturn in business ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday as a stabilized domestic COVID-19 situation gives companies and people confidence to plan year-end banquets and parties.
More than 60 percent of companies aim to hold year-end banquets to express their gratitude to their employees, boding well for hotels and banquet facilities, a survey by 1111 Job Bank (1111人力銀行) showed on Friday.
FDC International Hotels Corp (雲品國際), which owns the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Le Palais (頤宮), said it is to benefit from small banquets and parties as companies have resumed meetings and gatherings.
The hotel chain posted NT$157
Major hotel chains are taking part in this year’s Taipei International Travel Fair, offering cutthroat prices to revitalize business, which had been hit hard by a local COVID-19 outbreak.
Cosmos Hotel & Resorts Group (天成飯店集團) is selling joint hotel vouchers priced at NT$1,800 (US$64.59) each for one-night stays with free breakfasts at its hotel facilities, 88 percent off the group’s regular room rates.
The facilities include Cosmos Taipei (台北天成大飯店) near Taipei Railway Station, Taipei Garden Hotel (台北花園大酒店) near Ximen MRT Station, Hua Shan Din (華山町) near Zhongxiao-Xinsheng MRT Station and the Sun Dialogue Hotel (繪日之丘) in Chiayi City.
Hotel Royal Group (老爺大酒店集團)