Summer heat taking toll on theme park visitor numbers

Janfusun Fancy World in Yunlin County, Leofoo Village in Taoyuan County, and Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village in Nantou County all reported a ten to twenty percent drop in the number of tourists for the month of July from the same period last year. Leofoo Village attracted 120,000 visitors in July, down 10,000 from the same period last year. In the same month, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village logged 60,000 visitors, down from 70,000 last year.

Theme parks in the southern resort area of Kenting National Park also experienced a ten to twenty percent decline in the number of visitors. The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium recorded a 45% decline in visitors this July, sinking from 200,000 to just 110,000 from the same period last year.

The drop in theme park traffic visitors did not begin in July. According to statistics by the Tourism Bureau, Taiwan’s 23 major theme parks have registered a combined 16 percent drop in the number of tourists in the first half of 2007 from the same period last year.

Theme park managers said the main factor has been the high temperatures this summer, followed by the rise in gasoline prices and the availability of alternative entertainment options, such as the popular Nintendo Wii game console. Park managers also cited Taiwan’s sluggish economy as a reason for low turnout at theme parks.

Organizers of the annual International Children’s Folklore & Folkgame Festival in Yilan County said that they do not expect the number of visitors to reach 600,000, the festival's expected break even point. Organizers added that the Hsuehshan Tunnel, which opened last year linking Taipei County to Yilan County, had not helped in boosting attendance to the festival.

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