About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday.
The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events.
From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea, it said.
Photo courtesy of Taoyuan International Airport Corp
In June 606,346 international tourists visited Taiwan, 6.1 percent more than the same period last year, it said.
Of the June arrivals, 92,741 were from Japan, a 21.85 percent increase, and 46,060 were from China, a 48.97 percent increase over last year.
The sharp rise in arrivals from China might be due to the “small three links” policy, which opened travel between China and Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, the agency said.
However, 101,484 arrivals were from Hong Kong, a 7.41 percent decrease, and 47,804 were from South Korea, a 7.46 percent drop from last year.
The declines might be due to online rumors of an earthquake in the region based on a prediction in a manga, which particularly affected visits from Hong Kongers, who also made fewer trips to Japan, the agency said.
The drop in South Korean travelers might be a result of the presidential election and political instability in the country, which lowered people’s willingness to travel abroad, it said.
Separately, a travel industry analyst estimated the value of Taiwan’s luxury travel market last year to be between NT$100 billion and NT$150 billion (US$3.3 billion and US$4.9 billion), with nearly 60 percent of travelers being women.
A report by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co, titled “Rethinking the Modern Luxury Traveler,” said that about 80 percent of luxury travelers are younger than 60.
People aged 40 to 60 are at the peak of their spending power, it said.
Modo Travel chairman Michael Yu (游國珍) said the luxury travel market has immense potential, especially in Asia.
For example, polar expeditions attract about 200 Taiwanese travelers annually, more than 60 percent of whom are women, he said.
Many of them are single women seeking to fulfill a dream of visiting the polar region, he added.
Travelers older than 60 made up more than 60 percent of the high-end market, with a significant number also in their 50s, he said.
Meanwhile, 65 percent of polar expedition travelers are still employed, indicating a trend in which people are prioritizing long-distance, aspirational trips while they are young and working, he said.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
Tigerair Taiwan and China Airlines (CAL) today announced that several international flights were canceled or rescheduled due to Typhoon Ragasa. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) has maintained sea and land warnings for the typhoon. Its storm circle reached the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) on Taiwan's southern tip at 11am today. Tigerair Taiwan said it canceled Monday's IT551/IT552 Taoyuan-Da Nang, IT606/IT607 Taoyuan-Busan and IT602 Taoyuan-Seoul Incheon flights. Tomorrow, cancelations include IT603 Seoul Incheon-Taoyuan, as well as flights between Taoyuan and Sapporo, Osaka, Tokyo Narita, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Saga, Tokyo Haneda, Nagoya, Asahikawa and Jeju. On Wednesday, the IT321/IT322 Kaohsiung-Macau round-trip would also be canceled. CAL announced that today's
Three tropical depressions yesterday intensified into tropical storms, with one likely to affect Taiwan as a typhoon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The three storms, named Mitag, Ragasa and Neoguri, were designated as storms No. 17 to 19 for this year, the CWA said. Projected routes indicate that Ragasa is most likely to affect Taiwan, it said. As of 2am today, Ragasa was 1,370km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) on the southernmost tip of Taiwan. It was moving west-northwest before turning northwest, slowing from 11kph to 6kph, the agency said. A sea warning for Ragasa is unlikely before Sunday afternoon, but its outer rim
RSS