Jensen Huang Effect Drives Hotel Occupancy to Full, Bookings Extend to Next Year

(Central News Agency reporter Jiang Mingyan, Taipei, June 6) The AI wave sweeping Taiwan, coupled with the high popularity of NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, drew a large number of domestic and international businesses to the Taipei International Computer Show (COMPUTEX), driving up hotel occupancy rates and restaurant revenues in the Greater Taipei area. Industry insiders revealed that "hotels were almost fully booked during the exhibition period" and "some exhibitors have already completed reservations for next year's event," indicating that the AI business opportunities have also spilled over into the tourism industry.

The AI whirlwind stirred up by Jensen Huang once again swept through this year's COMPUTEX. Wherever he went during the exhibition, crowds gathered. Many Taiwanese businesspeople exclaimed upon arriving at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center MRT station that the crowd was "as massive as a New Year's Eve celebration."

The 2025 COMPUTEX was held from June 2 to June 5, attracting over 1,500 exhibitors from 33 countries and regions, utilizing approximately 6,000 booths. The exhibition drew business visitors from many countries, and its powerful magnetic effect not only promoted exchanges in the AI technology industry but also injected considerable business opportunities into hotels and restaurants in the Greater Taipei area.

The Hi-Lai Hotel, located near the Nangang Exhibition Center, stated that its occupancy rate during the exhibition increased by about 30% compared to usual, exceeding 90%. The number of visitors grew by approximately 15%. "Some exhibitors have even completed early reservations for next year's exhibition period."

Restaurant performance was also strong. Hi-Lai Hotel reported that its banquet halls were fully booked for the second consecutive year during the exhibition. Private rooms, which opened for reservations in February this year, were also fully booked for both lunch and dinner. The number of visitors to the lobby lounge and Daily Bakery increased by over 30% compared to usual, and revenue at Dongfang Lou grew by about 20%.

The Grand Hyatt Taipei noted that in addition to the computer show being held at the Nangang Exhibition Center, many well-known companies also exhibited at the Taipei World Trade Center. Benefiting from its advantageous location, the hotel's accommodation and banquet dining business was bustling even before the exhibition began. During the exhibition week, occupancy rates exceeded 90% until Friday. Reservations at the Grand Hyatt Taipei's eight in-house restaurants averaged over 90% during lunch and dinner. Driven by the overall crowds, the hotel's total revenue grew compared to last year.

The Leofoo Group also pointed out that the Taipei International Computer Show significantly boosted business accommodation demand. "The occupancy rate of our hotels in the Taipei area is close to full." With the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival holiday, summer vacation season, and continued demand from exhibitions and banquets in the second half of the year, the group holds an optimistic outlook for its full-year operational performance.

Specifically, the Le Méridien Taipei's average occupancy rate for the first four months of this year had already exceeded 85%. In June, driven by COMPUTEX, both its occupancy rate and average room price rose simultaneously.

The Han-Yi Hotel in Xinyi District also benefited from the exhibition's business opportunities. It was almost fully booked every day from the beginning of June until the end of the exhibition. The high occupancy rate also boosted in-house dining consumption, with a significant increase in demand for meals for groups of 2 to 4 people, pushing restaurant revenue up by about 10% to 20%.

The exhibition's benefits further spread across the Greater Taipei area. The Taipei Marriott Hotel in Dazhi reported an occupancy rate of 93% during the computer show. The Regent Taipei in Zhongshan District also benefited, with an occupancy rate exceeding 95% this week. An industry insider revealed that "some dates were fully booked."

The Taipei Marriott Hotel also observed that the boundary between weekdays and weekends for business hotels has gradually blurred since the pandemic. Weekdays are supported by a stable base of business travelers, while weekends attract leisure tourists and families through special accommodation packages. This has led to a more balanced overall accommodation demand, resulting in more stable occupancy rates on both weekdays and weekends. (Editors: Zhang Liangzhi, Zhai Sijia) 1150606