NUMBER OF CRUISE SHIPS VISITING TAICHUNG PORT DROPS SHARPLY |台中港國際郵輪航次減 日資商場規模也傳縮水

The drop in Chinese tourists has impacted many industries. For example, the number of cruise ships calling in the Port of Taichung has dropped from 37 in 2014 to 2 this year. Now rumors are that a Japanese corporate conglomerate is scaling back their investment in an outlet mall near the port. Taichung City said it is planning measures to connect tourist destinations along the coast and the port, and that a drop in Chinese tourists does not worry the city. The Port of Taichung's visitor center is locked and empty when no ships come in, and with the drop in Chinese tourists, only four ships a week are scheduled. A major outlet mall financed by a Japanese conglomerate is planned to be next to the visitor center. Though the industry is worried about its prospects, the Taiwan Port Company remains upbeat. ==CHUNG YING-FENG General Manager, Port of Taichung== (The Chinese tourists) were only one small part of the target market, and definitely not the chief reason for the project. Even when there were more cruise ships calling in Taichung in the past, they didn't come every day. The mall is targeted towards local residents. The Port of Taichung said that the number of cruise ships calling at the port has dropped from a high of 37 in 2014 to two this year. Though anxieties are rising in related industries, the Port said that the NT$2.5 billion investment project remains on track. Taichung City Hall said that, though the number of Chinese tourists has fallen, the port area is still commercially viable. ==LU YAO-CHIH Commissioner, Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City== After some of the bigger projects come online, tourism and leisure travel (will grow). People will spend at least a whole day in the port area. The Japanese investors also say that they are planning to build a hotel as the second phase of their investment. Taichung City said that Chinese visitors are not the main target for tourism in greater Taichung. It said that the city plans to link the Gaomei Wetland and the planned Electric Power Museum to create a so-called blue belt of destinations along the Taichung coast and turn the Port of Taichung into a multifunctional tourist port. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 陸客不來，許多產業受到衝擊，以台中港申請來台的國際郵輪來看，從103年度全盛時期的37航次，到今年度只剩下個兩航次；日資大型OUTLET也傳出可能縮減規模，台中港務公司表示目前沒有相關訊息，投資方是看準海線的消費市場，台中市也擬定港區觀光串連計畫，不怕陸客減少。 台中港的遊客中心，停車場空蕩蕩一片，沒有船班的時候，平時都是大門深鎖。陸客來台數縮減之後，平時進出的大廳冷冷清清，去年開始，船班也縮減成一週只有四班，而一旁就是日資大型OUTLET的預定地，雖然相關產業很緊張，不過接洽的台灣港務公司則是老神在在。 ==台中港務公司總經理 鍾英鳳== （陸客)只是一小部分 但絕對不是(設OUTLET)主要原因 因為郵輪 在台中港就是 以前多的話 也不是天天有 它最主要的 還是以當地居民為主 台中港務公司指出，從統計數字來看，陸客乘坐郵輪來到台中港，從最顛峰的103年度一週37航次，到今年只剩2班次，讓相關產業很緊張，不過日資大型OUTLET，這項金額25億的投資計劃並沒有生變，台中市政府表示，雖然陸客相較前幾年確實少了，但港區還是有它的商業潛力。 ==電訪：台中市經發局長　呂曜志== 從幾個大的建設 跟OT案 上路之後 應該整個觀光休憩(會起來) 在(台中港區)那邊至少 我覺得可以待一整天 所以日商的第二期 它說它 它們也在規劃 要蓋飯店 台中市府指出，陸客並非大台中的觀光主力，而未來將和串聯高美濕地，以及即將規劃的電力博物館等等，將海線串連成觀光藍帶，希望讓台中港，轉化成多功能觀光港區。 記者 林健生 賴世杰 台中報導