More than 90 percent of independent Chinese travelers who have been to Taiwan want to come back and a majority plan to revisit the nation within a year, citing their love of the nation’s rich folk culture, natural scenery and food, according to a recent survey by US-based marketing researcher AC Nielsen.
The survey found that the average monthly income of Chinese visiting on the Free Independent Traveler (FIT) program was more than 18,500 Chinese yuan (US$3,000), which is higher than the annual income of NT$500,000 (US$16,500) required of such visitors by Taiwanese authorities.
Another finding was that compared with those from China’s first-tier cities, visitors from second and third-tier cities not only earn higher salaries, but spend more during their time in Taiwan.
For instance, those from the less-developed cities of Qingdao and Suzhou earn an average of 19,726 yuan per month, compared with those from Beijing and Shanghai, who on average make 18,520 yuan per month.
Tourists from the second and third-tier cities also spend 14 percent more money during their time in Taiwan than those from first-tier cities, according to the survey. The former spend an average of 15,252 yuan during a week-long stay, excluding money spent on plane tickets.
Those from the second and third-tier cities were also found to spend an average of 6,476 yuan on shopping, 21.7 percent more than those from the first-tier cities, who spend an average of 5,321 yuan. The spending habits of Chinese tourists tend toward local specialties, souvenirs and arts and crafts, the survey showed.
Lee Chia-yin (李嘉寅), general manager of local travel agency Richmond Tours, said tourists from second and third-tier cities tend to spend more on shopping because they have fewer chances to go abroad, so that when they do, they spend more heavily than people from the bigger cities.
Tourists from first-tier cities have more convenient transportation links and travel overseas twice each year on average, Lee said.
The survey was conducted online from March 7 to 18 among 1,009 tourists from the 26 Chinese cities whose residents are allowed to travel on the FIT program.
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