The number of international visitors to Taiwan increased by 9.34 percent annually in 2011 to reach a historic high of 6,087,484, the Tourism Bureau announced Jan. 9.
The growth rate is more than twice the global average of 4.5 percent for 2011 projected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the bureau said.
“These impressive numbers stand as a firm testimony to our continued efforts in bolstering the nation’s international tourism,” a bureau official said.
In December Taiwan received 648,594 international visitors to post a record year-on-year monthly growth rate of 22.24 percent, the bureau added.
Among all nationalities, arrivals from Singapore increased the most last year by 24.14 percent to reach 299,599 visitors, while visitors from Japan grew by 19.87 percent to 1,294,758, statistics indicated.
“Taiwan has fared pretty well despite challenges over the last year, including the earthquake in Japan, the debt crisis in Europe and fear over food plasticizers,” an official said.
The bureau estimated that tourism-related revenues for all of 2011 will exceed NT$300 billion (US$9.98 billion), registering a 10-percent increase compared to 2010.
East Asia remains the major pool for Taiwan’s international travelers, with mainland China, Japan, and Hong Kong and Macau accounting for 29 percent, 21 percent and 13 percent of all tourists, according to Tourism Bureau statistics.
The bureau said it expects to further boost tourism to the island through its “Time for Taiwan“ campaign, which will promote six types of tourism, namely gourmet, culture, ecotourism, romance, shopping, and Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. (HZW)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw