Taiwan welcomed this year’s 10 millionth foreign visitor Dec. 12 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, marking the third consecutive year that the country has reached the milestone.
Tourist Tan Jue-ping, who traveled from Singapore with around a dozen family members, landed at 11:40 a.m. Upon entering the arrivals hall, the 23-year-old received gifts prepared by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications such as airline tickets and coupons for free stays at several luxury hotels.
According to the bureau, of this year’s 10 million visitors, approximately 70 percent came for the purpose of tourism. Visits from South Korea surged 19.98 percent annually, it said, adding that the growth in travelers from Canada, the U.S. and Europe maintained last year’s rates of 8-11 percent.
Tourism Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui said the government is diversifying the country’s tourism resources and creating a friendlier, higher quality environment to attract more international visitors. He also expressed hope that the country’s public and private sectors can further collaborate in developing regional tourism based on each area’s unique characteristics.
The bureau said government efforts such as visa-waiver programs have been particularly successful in attracting visitors from Southeast Asia. The latest statistics show that arrivals from the region increased 33.98 percent year on year between January and October.
In addition to exploring more diverse markets, the Tourism Bureau said it will also work to establish smart tourist services and develop experiential travel, with the goal of cementing Taiwan’s status as a hub of tourism in Asia. (CPY-E)
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