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.
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