Is it just me or…
during this CNY vacation…
Most of the people just went home and visited nearby places?
Few(er) people went out for fun / vacation / sightseeing?
The traffic (AFAIK) has been smooth on the Freeway?
Many hotels (the ones I have been to) were not full, not even busy?
Is it because…
The vacation was very short?
New trend? life style?
Financial issues?
What do you think
Probably half of the people had to go back to work Thursday the other half have turned it into an extended break until Monday.
Here is an article that gives a complete different picture
Taiwan saw a record 10.69 million tourists last year, up 2.4 percent from 2015, according to The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics.
but… in the comments, there is a Jason Lee writing…
Tourists from other regions have increased, but retail sales have decreased steadily since March 2016 when the mainland tour groups started decreasing. Therefore, these numbers do not tell the actual story. If tourists from other areas of the world do not spend like mainlanders do once they arrive in Taiwan, the missing mainland tourists are in fact hurting the economy.
Good remark!
Yes, the vacation was too short.
Yes, it is a new trend to stay up North , as less families feel compelled to go back, or they go back, bai bai… and head for the airport to travel abroad.
Actually, I went to the Dihua market on a weekday at noon and it was full as a night market on a summer Friday night, so I guess the economy was not doing that bad, IMHO.