Travelers to Taiwan rise by 10% in first half of year

上半年赴台遊客增加10%

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan saw a 10% rise in visitors in the first half of the year, the Tourism Administration said Wednesday.

From January to June, Taiwan welcomed 4.197 million visitors, while outbound travel by Taiwanese reached 9.14 million, up 11% from last year, per CNA. The growth trend has remained steady, and the fourth quarter is expected to be the peak travel season.

The agency plans overseas promotions and major events to further boost arrivals. In June alone, Taiwan received 606,346 visitors, a 6.1% increase year-on-year, with Japan accounting for 92,741 arrivals, up 21.85%.

Hong Kong and Macau recorded 101,484 visitors, down 7.41%, while South Korea saw 47,804 arrivals, a 7.46% decline. The agency attributed the drop to earthquake rumors in Hong Kong and the presidential election in South Korea.

Arrivals from China rose sharply to 46,060, up 48.97%. This surge was mainly driven by travel through the mini-three-links to Kinmen and Matsu.