Tourism Value to Reach NT$500B. by 2016 with 10 M. Arrivals

Vice Premier Mao Chih-kuo, quoting  statistics released by the Tourism Bureau, says that Taiwan may see eight million visitor arrivals in 2013 as such arrivals has already reached 7.7 million as of Dec. 21. To reach the goal, Mao urges those in tourism to work harder and hopes that the number of visitor arrivals will steadily grow to 10 million by 2016 to create tourism value of around NT$500 billion (US$16.67 billion).

David W. J. Hsieh, director general of the Tourism Bureau, indicates that influenced by the depreciation of the Japanese yen, incoming Japanese tourists dropped in the first half of the year, but have gradually bounced back in the second half. In October, the number of Japanese tourists rose an annual 9.15%.

In the first 10 months South Korean tourists rose a sizable  25.82% and those from Singapore, Hong Kong & Macau, and Malaysia all grew double-digits of 16.9%, 14.25% and 14.1%, respectively.

In 2012 the number of visitor arrivals from Singapore and Malaysia came to 670,000 and the number is estimated to jump by 15% in 2013. If the arrivals from the said two countries maintain an uptrend, then the number is very likely to break one million in 2014, Hsieh predicts.

Besides, the number of regular direct flights between Taiwan and China in 2014 is estimated to rise to 828 weekly from the current 670 to boost Chinese arrivals.

C.I. Lai, president of Taiwan Tourist Hotel Association (TTHA), suggests the Taiwan government should allow more free independent travelers (FIT) from China and negotiate with its Chinese counterpart to back such plan. Only Chinese residents of 13 cities qualify as FITs to Taiwan.

Lai hopes that residents of Chinese cities served by direct flights to Taiwan are allowed as FITs, as the number of such cities total 26 cities, which may rise to 54 in the near future.

The statistics released by TTHA show that Taiwan has 110 star-rated tourist hotels, which in the first 10 months of 2013 charged on average NT$3,619  (US$120.63), per room, up 5% from 2012’s corresponding NT$3,446 (US$114.87). (JL)