TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Tourism Administration released its latest penalty report for hotels and guesthouses across Taiwan, signaling stepped-up enforcement, per CNA.

From January to September, authorities fined 1,041 illegal hotels and 586 unlicensed guesthouses, totaling NT$92.33 million (US$3.01 million) in penalties.

Separately, 1,041 unlicensed hotels were identified. Taichung saw the largest rise, with 56 new cases, followed by Taipei with 35, while Taoyuan recorded the biggest drop with five fewer illegal hotels.

Authorities issued 728 fines to hotels, with Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan ranking as the top three cities both in number of penalties and total fines, which reached NT$74.7 million.

As of September, 3,291 licensed hotels were in operation, a decrease of 25 from a year earlier. There were 12,473 licensed homestays, up by 483 year-on-year. The Tourism Administration said most homestays are family-run businesses operating from private residences and are less affected by operating costs than hotels.