Kenting and Xiao Liuqiu are summer destinations for water activities. The four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday marks the first peak season after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and before the summer vacation.
June 24, the southbound traffic flow to Kenting reached 2,000 vehicles per hour, accommodations in the Hengchun Peninsula are in high demand, night markets have been crowded with tens of thousands of people for two consecutive days, and all 4 most popular Kenting beaches are filled with swimmers.
n the outlying island of Xiao Liuqiu, over 10,000 people have visited for two consecutive days, and the Donggang area, currently hosting the Bluefin Tuna Cultural Tourism Season, is experiencing a vibrant business. Tourism operators exclaim, “This is the familiar peak season we used to have.”
The Fangliao Police stated that the southbound section of the Freeway Nr 1, leading to Pingtung’s Kenting and Taitung, experienced slightly less traffic this morning compared to the previous two days, but still remained at a significant volume of around 2,000 vehicles per hour. Depending on the situation, they will implement lane reallocation measures, allocating the inner lane of the northbound direction for southbound vehicles.
In the afternoon, the first wave of northbound traffic is expected. To alleviate congestion at the Fenggang Intersection, where Provincial Highway 26 and Provincial Highway 9 merge onto the Tai Freeway 1, lane adjustments will be implemented in the first section and diversion to the mountain-side road in the latter section, which have proven effective in managing traffic during previous holidays and will continue to be implemented this time.
The core area of Kenting has been fully booked for the past three days, with approximately 80% of accommodations outside the area also occupied. Popular recreational beaches such as Nanwan, Baishawan, Xiaowan, and Sail Rock have been crowded with people enjoying water activities and water sports.
Water scooter operators have been busy all day, and as night falls, the streets of Kenting are filled with crowds visiting the night market.
The police estimate that there have been thousands of people for two consecutive days, and the north and south ends have been closed off as pedestrian-only zones, prohibiting vehicle entry.
It is common to see young men and women strolling in bikinis or shirtless, exuding the summery atmosphere of the tropical seas. Vendors remain busy until late at night, as there are fewer than 700 public parking spaces available, leading visitors to express frustration over the difficulty of finding parking.
The police estimate that there have been thousands of people for two consecutive days, and the north and south ends have been closed off as pedestrian-only zones, prohibiting vehicle entry.
Accommodations are in high demand, and the beaches are once again filled with a sea of umbrellas. It feels like the return of the bustling peak season of domestic tourism in the past!” said a manager from a five-star hotel in Kenting.
The four-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday marks the first summer peak season after lifting COVID-19 restrictions and before the summer vacation, becoming a key indicator for accommodation trends.
With a significant number of bookings already made for July and August, the distinction between peak and off-peak seasons has returned, and there is hope for the government to resume allowing independent travelers from mainland China, reviving the “no off-season” prosperity.