The nation has minimized the loss in tourism revenue caused by a decrease in the number of Chinese tourists by diversifying its sources of international visitors, the Tourism Bureau said in a statement yesterday.
The bureau issued the statement after the Chinese-language Economic Daily News reported that the tourism industry suffered a loss of more than NT$55 billion (US$1.81 billion) due to the sharp decline in the number of Chinese tourists.
According to the report, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan between May last year and February dropped by 1.12 million from the same period a year earlier.
It calculated the loss in revenue by multiplying the number of lost tourists with their average daily spending of US$232.10 per person, as well as their average duration of stay, which it calculated as seven days.
The report also estimated that the number of Chinese tourists would decrease by between 1.2 million and 1.5 million this year, and the loss in revenue would reach NT$74.33 billion.
The bureau said there has been a significant decrease of Chinese tourists since May last year, adding that since Chinese tourists mainly go on shopping tours, the decline in their numbers would affect certain businesses’ revenue.
Statistics from the bureau showed that the number of tourists from nations other than China rose by 1.06 million between May last year and February.
The number of Japanese tourists rose by 16.5 percent, South Koreans by 34.25 percent, Malaysians by 9.95 percent, Thai by 57.26 percent and Vietnamese by 34.33 percent.
The bureau calculated the revenue brought by tourists from nations other than China by factoring in the average daily spending per traveler and average duration of stay last year.
Non-Chinese visitors generated NT$42.8 billion in revenue, which has minimized the losses caused by the decline in Chinese tourists, the bureau said.
To cope with the loss, the bureau said it has expanded its tourism promotions in a bid to attract independent travelers from China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.
Domestic tourism operators are also encouraged to offer quality tour products, the bureau said.
“The tourism market is easily swayed by various factors, to which the industry must adjust. We will continue our efforts to attract tourists from various nations, revitalize the domestic tourism market and transform the travel industry to reduce the dependency on a single market,” the bureau added.
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