Taiwanese tourists give priority to seeking out unique experiences when planning a trip abroad, with many likely to spend more than their monthly wages on overall costs, a survey by travel booking platform Klook (客路) showed on Wednesday last week.
62 percent of participants said that unique experiences was the most important aspect, followed by seasonally limited itineraries and airplane ticket prices, the survey of travel behavior and preferences in 12 Asia Pacific markets found.
Seasonally limited itineraries refer to winter skiing, autumn maple sightseeing and other season-specific tourist activities.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The findings suggest Taiwanese travelers are relatively purposeful, compared with peers elsewhere in the region, Klook said, as revenge travel, or travel without any purpose, is subsiding.
Most Taiwanese plan their travel itineraries two to three months ahead, and 45 percent are willing to spend more than one month of wages on their next trips, suggesting ample room for tourism growth in the coming six to 12 months, it said.
There were 6.16 million outbound tourist visits in the first seven months of this year, only 60 percent of the volume during the same period in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klook said.
About 45 percent of Taiwanese would spend NT$60,000 on their next trip, higher than the nation’s average monthly wage of NT$53,900, it said, noting that the ratio is next only to China’s 71 percent and Hong Kong’s 64 percent.
For Taiwanese tourists, travel is not only about new experiences, but is seen as an opportunity to try delicious foods and challenge their limits, Klook said.
A total of 67 percent of Taiwanese indicated their favorite activity while on vacation is looking for good gastronomic experiences, which is a much higher rating than tourists from other parts of the region, the survey showed. Food also ranks high among travelers from Vietnam and Hong Kong, it found.
Japan tops the list of most favored travel destination, as 76 percent of Taiwanese plan to visit Japan in the next six months, the survey indicated.
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