Last year’s Top Urban Accommodations: 13 counties and cities awarded

The Tourism Bureau today held a press conference to announce the results of the “2017 Top Urban Accommodations – County and City Government Management Performance Evaluation.” Among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, a total of 13 were honored. The special excellence awards went to the Taipei City Government, Chiayi County Government, and Kaohsiung City Government. The excellence awards were presented to the Keelung City Government, Taichung City Government, Changhua County Government, Chiayi City Government, and Tainan City Government. The merit awards went to the New Taipei City Government, Taoyuan City Government, Taitung County Government, and Penghu County Government, while the Nantou County Government received the Most Improved Performance Award.

The Tourism Bureau stated that the evaluation focused on the management and inspection of illegal accommodations. By allocating subsidy funds to assist counties and cities in carrying out accommodation industry inspections and management, conducting irregular supervisory reviews, hosting seminars on accommodation management regulations, and organizing training courses on relevant laws for inspectors, the Bureau has helped local governments enhance their capacity to manage the accommodation sector. Additionally, the Top Urban Accommodations evaluation committee regularly reviews the management status of accommodations within each jurisdiction.

Among the three special excellence awardees, Taipei City was commended for its well-established legal hotel management system and highly creative and efficient measures against illegal operators. These include evidence collection by neighborhood associations, tips from residents, and checks and balances from licensed businesses—practices highly worthy of reference for other counties and cities. Kaohsiung City demonstrated proactive efforts in guiding operators to obtain Muslim-friendly certification, star ratings, and recognition as quality homestays, while also enforcing rigorous inspection standards with a strong commitment shown through frequent and severe penalties. Chiayi County, despite limited staffing, achieved systematic management of accommodation data, conducted at least one inspection per year for local operators, and ensured real-time updates were published on both the Tourism Bureau and county government websites.

Local governments have achieved notable results in accommodation management. For example, 99.9% of legal hotels and 95.5% of legal homestays have purchased public liability insurance. Regarding the management of unlicensed operators, over half of the counties and cities regularly disclose illegal inspection information on official websites, request online booking platforms to remove listings of illegal accommodations, conduct irregular checks at travel fairs for vouchers, and take measures such as cutting off water and electricity for major violations to serve as a deterrent. These efforts continue to improve the management of unlicensed accommodations and ensure the rights and safety of travelers.