Prices for tours of Europe and some areas of China are to rise between next month and June, the Travel Quality Assurance Association said yesterday.
The association released average group tour prices so consumers could use the information as a reference when planning holidays. They include tours to countries in Asia, North America, Europe and Sotheast Asia, as well as China, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
The association published suggested tour prices for Taiwan for local and international travelers in the same period.
The price of package tours to Europe are to rise by between NT$2,000 and NT$5,000 compared with the same time last year, due to an increase in flight ticket prices and the value of the euro and the pound, the association said.
Summer in Europe is from April to October, the report said, adding that tour operators generally include outdoor activities, such as visiting Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest flower gardens, in Lisse, the Netherlands, which runs for eight weeks and is almost sold out, the association said.
Tours to Austria, the Czech Republic, Portugal, France and the UK are becoming more popular, as the number of flights to these countries have also increased, the association said.
Many companies arrange corporate retreats in China’s eastern provinces in the middle of the year, which causes airfares to rise, the association said, adding that because entrance fees to some of the top destinations in eastern China have also risen, the price of tours to the area have increased by between NT$1,000 and NT$2,000.
Tours to central and southern China cost about NT$5,000 more than last year, except tours to Hainan Province, which cost about NT$2,000 less, the association said.
Northwestern China has several travel highlights, including the Silk Road, highland tours in Xinjiang and the ancient Chinese capital of Xian, the association said, adding that because of the rise in flight ticket prices and hotel accommodation, prices for tours in Xian are expected to increase by between NT$3,000 and NT$7,000, whereas Silk Road tours would rise by between NT$3,500 and NT$5,500.
Tours to China’s northeastern and southwestern regions cost about the same as last year, the association said.
Prices of tours in Southeast and Northeast Asian countries are about the same as last year, the report said.
Trips to the west or east coast of the US have dropped by between NT$2,000 and NT$4,000, the association said, adding that tours to western Canada cost about the same as last year.
The association said that costs for tours in Australia would drop about NT$2,000 and tour packages for New Zealand would decrease about NT$10,000.
Tours to Indochina would drop by about NT$500 to NT$10,000 from last year, the association said.
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