People planning an overseas trip in the autumn or winter could consider Europe, following a report from the Travel Quality Assurance Association showing that overall prices for tours there are forecast to drop by NT$3,000 to NT$6,000 compared with last year.
The association yesterday made public reference prices for tours worldwide from October to December, including some popular travel destinations for Taiwanese.
Tours to Europe showed a decrease in prices, partially caused by the depreciation of the British pound, the report said.
The supply of flights is to surpass demand this year, as many airlines — including China Airlines and EVA Air — have begun providing new services to Europe, the report said.
As November and December are off-peak travel seasons in Europe, tours offered in these months are generally cheaper than those available in the peak season, the report added.
In addition, the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar should see prices of tours to the US and Canada drop by NT$1,000 to NT$5,000, it said.
According to the report, tours to Japan in October and November are to rise by NT$2,000 to NT$5,000. In December, tours to cities in Japan are to cost about the same as last year, except for tours to the Hokaiddo area — which are to rise by NT$2,000 — it said.
The report attributed the rising cost of tours to Japan on the appreciation of the yen, while Japanese schools often organize trips in the autumn, adding to demand.
Japan has a strained supply of hotels and accommodation because of an increase in tourists from Thailand and Malaysia, the report said.
Despite an increase in flight services to New Zealand, the report showed that ticket prices are to rise by NT$3,000 because of the appreciation of the New Zealand dollar and increased accommodation costs there.
The cost of tours to northern, northeastern and southwestern parts of China are also expected to increase in autumn and winter, due to increases in admission fees at scenic spots, flight ticket prices and accommodation costs, the report showed.
People planning a trip to central and southern regions of China would see tour fees drop by NT$1,000 to NT$3,000, except for Guilin in Guangsi Province, it said.
The report said that tours to Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, the Middle East, north Africa, South Africa, India, Nepal Vietnam and Cambodia would cost about the same as last year.
People traveling within Taiwan from now to the end of this year should see a slight reduction in costs, thanks to the decrease in the number of Chinese tourists, which makes it easier to book hotels and tour buses, the report said.
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