TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Korean girl group Twice confirmed that there will be an additional performance in Kaohsiung on Nov. 23 following their originally planned appearance on Nov. 22.
Tickets went on sale for the group’s ‘This is For’ world tour stops in Taiwan on Thursday and all tickets sold out within minutes. A spike in hotel bookings for the weekend has prompted the city’s Tourism Bureau to launch an investigation into price gouging among accommodation providers, reported UDN.
Some fans who snagged tickets to the group’s first ever performance in Taiwan were shocked when they tried to book hotel rooms for the weekend.
Media reports indicate that prices at some hotels near the Kaohsiung National Stadium are advertising a ten-fold price increase for the weekend. A room at one hotel normally priced NT$1,134 (US$37) was priced at NT$11,000 (US$350) on the night of Nov. 22, causing surprise and anger among Twice fans looking for accommodation.
Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau Director Kao Min-lin (高閔琳) responded to reports of price gouging. He said that officials have been dispatched to conduct on-site inspections of multiple properties.
If a business is discovered to be maliciously inflating room prices, they will face a fine between NT$10,000 and NT$50,000, in accordance with regulations. One hotel inspected on Saturday will be fined for charging the usual price of an executive suite for a basic quad room, per UDN.
Kao emphasized that the fines will be applied cumulatively for every customer who is overcharged at booking. The tourism bureau is also considering amending the law to increase the maximum fines for price gouging, he said.
