Taiwan is hoping to receive 10 million inbound visitors this year, despite mounting challenges, but expects 9 million to be a reasonable target, considering last year’s figure was 7,857,686, Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-xiu (陳玉秀) said today.
The number of inbound visitors in the first half of the year is projected to exceed 4.19 million, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, according to a special report presented by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee today.
The number of visitors usually increases in the second half of the year, and the administration has many promotional campaigns planned, including inviting Taiwanese and Japanese railway enthusiasts to explore new routes, Chen said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
Domestic tourism is also on the rise, as the administration’s domestic travel survey showed that the number of domestic tourists reached 222 million last year, surpassing the 206 million recorded in 2023 and 169 million in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry also reported that day trips have been increasing each year, with the administration looking to promote overnight travel to support the domestic tourism industry and accommodation sector.
Approximately 75 percent of domestic trips last year were one-day trips, up from 71 percent in 2023 and 66 percent before the pandemic, the report said.
The government is responding to the trend by promoting unique travel experiences and developing themed itineraries across a diverse range of locations, Chen said.
Short trips have become mainstream because of Taiwan’s convenient transportation, she said.
The administration would follow regulations regarding cross-strait tourism, though several hundred thousand Chinese tourists have already entered Taiwan this year via third-party destinations and professional exchanges, she said.
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