The March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a deadly derailment on the Alishan Forest Railway in April and a plasticizer food scare have dragged down growth in international tourist arrivals, which rose only 5 percent in the first six months of this year, the Tourism Bureau said last week.
Statistics from the bureau showed that 2.85 million international tourists arrived between January and June, a 5 percent growth compared with the same period last year.
Tourism Bureau Director--General Janice Lai (賴瑟珍) said that despite the modest growth, the bureau had no intention of adjusting its goal of receiving 6.5 million international visitors this year.
About 5.57 million international tourists visited the nation last year. The bureau originally raised the goal this year to 6 million, but the Executive Yuan raised the goal by another 500,000 tourists.
Meanwhile, Lai said that about 12,000 Chinese tourists had obtained travel passes issued by the Public Security Department in China to visit Taiwan as free and independent travelers (FIT).
The FIT policy has been under scrutiny lately as it drew only 500 tourists in the first month after the policy was launched.
At present, only people from Shanghai, Beijing and Xiamen are allowed to visit as FITs. Taiwan and China agreed to cap the number of Chinese FITs at 500 a day at in the initial stage.
Lai said 4,790 permits had been given in Shanghai since June, 28, 4,780 in Beijing and 2,490 in Xiamen. However, Lai said the National Immigration Agency had reviewed only 1,717 applications for travel permits. A total of 1,356 have been issued. Lai said both sides would review the FIT policy next month to try to further streamline application procedures.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS