The ongoing plasticizer scare and a derailment on the Alishan Forest Railway in May could be behind a 30 percent drop in the number of Chinese tourists last month from the same period last year, the Tourism Bureau said yesterday.
Statistics from the bureau showed that about 150,000 Chinese tourists visited Taiwan in May, a drop of 16 percent compared with the same period last year.
While the bureau says the temporary decline could be attributed to the train derailment, in which five Chinese tourists were killed, and the plasticizer scare, some travel agents believe the decline could continue this month and into next month.
Chen Chen-hung (陳振宏), a representative of the Comfort Travel Service Co, said Chinese tourists could have decided to wait for the implementation of the free independent traveler (FIT) policy on June 28 before making their travel plans.
July and August were generally not peak seasons for Chinese tourists, Chen said, adding that Japan is also promoting itself to foreign tourists with low-priced deals and South Korea could introduce deals aimed at attracting families, so the number of visitors to Taiwan could drop 20 percent more this month and next.
The FIT policy would not necessarily boost the number of Chinese tourists, because they are confused about the details, Chen said, noting the FIT program and package tours require different travel permits and follow different regulations.
Travel Agent Association Secretary-General Roget Hsu (許高慶) said the Tourism Bureau should come up with new promotional strategies and scenic spots to attract tourists since it has been three years since Chinese tourists were officially allowed to visit Taiwan.
Tourism Bureau Deputy Director General Wayne Liu (劉喜臨) said the bureau planned to offer more information sessions in provinces from which most Chinese tourists came — and seek to reassure Chinese that traveling in Taiwan is safe by relying on Chinese journalists based here.
Meanwhile, the Splendor Hotel Kaohsiung in Greater Kaohsiung said it was offering special treatment to the first Chinese FITs to visit the city.
The four visitors, from Amoy, Fujian Province, were greeted upon arrival at Kaohsiung International Airport on Wednesday night by Tourism Bureau officials and hotel staffers.
The Splendor said it would provide the visitors with Taiwanese cellphones, free airport pick-up and free shuttle bus service to the Zuoying Taiwan High Speed Rail station. During their two-night stay, the four would also have access to the hotel’s gym and its observatory free of charge, the hotel said. The hotel has been working with Far Eastern Department Store in the city to entice each of the tourists with NT$1,000 in gift coupons for the store.
Other department stores have also said they are ready to welcome the solo tourists. TALEES Department Store said it has printed a sightseeing brochure in simplified Chinese characters, while Dream Mall said it would give the tourists special shopping coupons.
Additional reporting by CNA
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS