Prices for group tours to Japan, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and New Zealand are expected to rise in the next quarter due to the appreciation of the yen and inflation, a report published yesterday by the Travel Quality Assurance Association (TQAA) showed.
Japan remains the most popular destination for Taiwanese tourists, the association’s Japanese tour specialist Aron Huang (黃清涼) told a news conference in Taipei.
Last year, 6.04 million Taiwanese traveled to Japan, making Taiwan its third-largest source of international tourists, he said.
Photo: Reuters
However, tour costs between April and June are expected to rise by about 5 percent compared with the same period last year, after the Bank of Japan on Jan. 24 raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 0.5 percent, Huang said.
Other factors that would push up tour costs include Expo 2025 in Osaka, the cherry blossom season from March 25 to the end of April and the reopening of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route on April 15, he said.
As 25 million tourists from 150 countries are expected to visit the Expo from April 13 to Oct. 13, the cost of tour groups to Osaka and the surrounding area are to rise 10 percent, compared with a 5 percent increase in the rest of the country, he said.
Costs of European tours in the second quarter are expected to rise by 5 to 8 percent due to inflation, an increase in flight ticket prices, a surge in transportation and accommodation costs, and currency changes, TQAA European tour specialist Chen Rong-hsin (陳榮信) said.
However, Europe still has several major events to draw tourists in the next quarter, such as Jubilee 2025 in Rome, tulip season in the Netherlands, the Prague Spring International Music Festival from May 12 to June 3, and lavender season in the south of France and Croatia from mid-June to mid-August, Chen said.
Inflation is also to cause travel costs to the Middle East and North Africa to rise 20 to 30 percent in the second quarter compared with the same period last year, association specialist Chang Wen-wen (張雯雯) said.
Although Turkey has drawn many Taiwanese tourists with direct flights, a pleasant climate, historic sites and relatively lower expenses compared with European countries, inflation in the country was 44.38 percent in December last year, making its consumer price comparable to that of London, she said.
Egypt and other countries have also raised admission fees at tourist destinations, and a staffing shortage in the region has contributed to the rise of costs as well, she added.
Tour costs to New Zealand rose 16 percent, due to increases in airfare and inflation, the association said.
For budget travelers, the report identified Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia as good destinations, as costs to those countries are to rise about 2 percent due to airfare increases, it said, adding that Thailand remains one of Taiwanese tourists favorite destinations, despite reports of scams targeting travelers.
South Korea remains a popular travel destination for Taiwanese, despite the brief implementation of martial law and aviation incidents involving Jeju Air and Air Busan flights, the report said, adding that tour costs would fall 11 percent, as low-cost airlines drop ticket prices.
More Taiwanese are traveling to the US and Canada due to an increase in flights to Seattle, with Yellowstone National Park and the Canadian Rockies expected to be popular this year, it said.
Tour costs to the Americas would rise about 2 to 5 percent due to changes in currency exchange rates, the report said.
Travelers to Canada are advised to visit from April to May, as the G7 Summit is to be held in Alberta’s Kananaskis region from June 15 to June 17, while Calgary is to host the Rotary International Convention from June 22 to June 25, it said.
Travel costs to Australia would fall 2 percent due to relatively lower ticket prices and changes in currency exchange rates, it said.
Domestic travel is also an affordable option, and the World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei City from May 17 to May 30 expected to boost the number of international travelers to Taiwan with the participation of 40,000 athletes from 110 countries, the report said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS