Visa Inc’s latest Travel Intentions Survey found that Taiwanese like to visit Japan the most, attracted by its cuisine, shopping convenience and historical sites.
Japan was ranked as the favorite travel destination by 76.2 percent of Taiwanese respondents to the poll, followed by Hong Kong with 31.6 percent and South Korea with 28.1 percent, the US credit card company said on Thursday, citing the survey results.
“Japan offers a wide range of activities for tourists to explore as ‘theme travel’ has gained popularity among Taiwanese in recent years,” Visa said.
Taiwanese in the 40-49 age group give top priority to Tokyo, while the 20-to-24 age bracket favors Osaka as a destination for a “gourmet journey,” the survey found.
A large majority, 73.2 percent, cited ramen, a Japanese noodle soup dish, as the must-eat item during their trips to Japan, the survey found.
Going shopping was the next most popular item on potential travelers to Japan’s “to do” list.
Japan is considered a shopping paradise for Taiwanese who have shown a penchant for Japanese health supplements, cosmetics, skincare products and consumer electronic devices, Visa said.
While Taiwanese females enjoy buying cosmetic and skincare products, the men enjoy shopping for consumer electronic products, it said, adding that Taiwanese are tech-savvy and love to share photographs of Japanese food, shopping scenes and scenic spots on social media.
Tokyo Tower is the most frequent “check-in” spot on their Facebook posts, followed by Tokyo Disneyland and the Tokyo Skytree, Visa said.
Visa launched its Travel Intentions Survey in 2004 to monitor and analyze global travel trends and behavior.
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