[quote=“redwagon”]Are we going to see locations becoming dependent on Chinese tourism to the point they will willingly support Beijing’s efforts toward controlling dissent here and pressure the central government to capitulate out of fear of their tourist quota being taken away?[/quote]Already been done in some countries and cities. Sometimes it works and other times they tell them to jump off a cliff. I’m sure there will be an interesting back-and-forth in and out of the public eye over this in Taiwan for the next decade.
Which is good as it will hopefully finally get the business community off their asses to upgrade the area. Chinese who have been to Hainan and then Kending are goign to find the latter pretty lacking, at least in infrastructure, town planning, ect. Scenery wise it is better though the beaches in Hainan are better (though the water murkier so I guess it’s a draw 
)
I disagree with those who think the Chinese are going to have a lowering effect on the industry here. Even mid-level provincial sights in China often have far superior infrastructure, facilities, etc, than some of the best places in Taiwan. The push in China these days is to make every destination a “luxury” destination, and many are succeeding, at least in appearance. Service is still appalling and of course you can’t do anything about people blowing their nose on the sidewalk but the look of these places is quite nice.[/quote]
Yep, still remember the first time I visited Xihu Lake in Hangzhou, I was shocked, the standards were far higher than Taiwan. That was over 5 years ago. I think a lot of foreigners (and Taiwanese) in Taiwan don’t have a clear concept on the huge changes in China…and the rather glacial ones here. This is probably my biggest bugbear in Taiwan…lack of international vision with building and environmental and service standards.
As somebody who goes to the Kenting area fairly regularly I can’t help but notice no improvement in facilities there over the last 10 years…there is still an open sewer running into the beach on the main strip there, still no pavement on the main road. We go to Kenting for the surrounding area and for a dip in the water though…in the other beaches! The good thing about Kenting is you can stay in some Mingshu on the back part on the way up to Frog Rock and it’s very quiet , peaceful and natural. The newer Mingshu are really quite nice.
EDIT: there was one improvement…they shut down all the race kart tracks on the coastal section the last time I was there…ALL gone.
I’d like to visit Hainan island sometime…but are you just better off going to Bali, Thailand or Malaysia for the money?
Do you mean Minsu? 民宿?
[quote=“headhonchoII”]
I’d like to visit Hainan island sometime…but are you just better off going to Bali, Thailand or Malaysia for the money?[/quote]
Having been to both islands within the last year, Bali wins hands down. Hainan, like Taiwan, is beautiful in and of itself. Like Taiwan the work of human hands for most part produces ugliness. The Balinese sense of form, color and proportion is absent on Hainan, despite the best efforts of various hotels and spas to copy that theme. Then there is the service attitude… night and day difference. Not to mention the fact that while in Bali you may be unlucky enough to run into Chinese tourists, there are almost no other visitors to Hainan.
Malaysia is so ludicrously friendly and Thailand so polite I find it impossible to compare either country to China in any way. 
Depends where you go, what kind of accom you expect. But Hainan as red points out can’t compare with those other destinations because it’s a completely artificial creation with no ties to the local culture: YONADA!!!
Mind you Yalong Bay has a lot of international staff at the resorts but then you are paying top dollar to isolate yourself on a beach. You can do that anywhere.
Hainan is for Chinese, Russians, and expats living in China. It was a good biking destination but almost every good beach is being developed and there is so much construction these days even back country roads have too many trucks. It’ll probably calm down in a year or two but for now it’s a bit nutty.
And for basically all expats, getting to Hainan means flying, and once you’ve dragged yourself through the traffic to an airport and gone through the hassles of getting on a plane, you might as well spend a few dollars more and leave the country. That was how I looked at it when I lived there, and I know I’m not the only who thinks that way. I’m sure every other big nose I saw in Hainan was Russian, and they seemed to confine themselves to the resort.
Actually, the simultaneously worst and funniest thing about Hainan was having to listen to the Chinese congratulating themselves that the island is ‘every bit as good as Hawaii’. :roflmao:
YONADA!
it seems this discussion has gotten way off the original topic. not that there’s anything wrong with that…
YONADA![/quote]
有 nada!
I tried to read through the whole 7 pages of responses regarding this topic, looks like there’s a mix of view points. I think in the initial posts, there appeared to be some resentment regarding the way the Taiwan Tourism Bureau was targeting certain audience. I don’t really have much of an opinion either way on this issue. But wanted to just share my $0.02 regarding the ad campaign.
I’m from and still am in NYC, and I can honestly say there’s been a pretty big influx of “Come to Taiwan” or “Welcome to Formosa” ads. Either on billboards, buses and/or train stations, as a NYer I’m always heading somewhere or doing something so I hardly ever stop to take pictures, but every once in a while when I see the ads it kind of puts a smile on my face.
I think it’s confusion more than resentment, and I think the Tourism Bureau is the center of that confusion.
You also have to ask yourself. How many times have you heard about some culturally interesting festival going on in Taiwan that would probably be of interest to either foreigners or visitors, but they are either only mentioned in the local press in Chinese, or get a mentioned on the news the night it has finished?