Taiwan expects 8% increase in cruise passengers by year's end

台灣預計到年底郵輪旅客數將增加8%

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of passengers arriving at Taiwan’s ports is expected to grow by approximately 8% this year compared to 2019, the Taiwan International Ports Corporation said recently.

TIPC statistics showed that this year, international cruise ships are expected to make 567 calls, bringing 1.135 million passengers, compared to 1.055 million in 2019, per CNA.

In terms of foreign cruise visitors, TIPC reported 322,000 in 2019, accounting for 31% of port passengers. After the pandemic eased, 2024 saw 316,000 foreign visitors, making up 35% of passengers. From January to October 2025, foreign cruise visitors reached about 360,000, representing 38% of passengers, marking two historic highs.

TIPC attributed the new records mainly to the growth in transit passengers and the dual-home-port model, in which a cruise ship uses two different ports as its primary embarkation and disembarkation points.

The corporation cited the MSC Bellissima, which operates from January to March and again from November to December, as an example. The ship travels between Keelung and Naha, Japan, bringing Taiwanese travelers abroad while also transporting Japanese tourists to Taiwan.

As for whether the cruise market could break records again next year, TIPC said 593 cruise calls carrying an estimated 1.0449 million passengers are expected. This includes 330 home-port calls with 712,000 passengers and 263 transit calls with about 332,900 passengers. The rise reflects the strong appeal of Taiwan’s shore excursion destinations, which continue to attract more international cruise lines, TIPC said.