The government should achieve its goal of 6 million international tourist arrivals this year earlier than expected thanks to a robust recovery in the international tourism market after the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said yesterday.
Cheng and Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) were at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) yesterday afternoon, with the nation’s 4 millionth international tourist expected to arrive on a flight there.
Reporters asked Cheng whether the target for international tourist numbers this year would be reached and if arrivals would return to pre-COVID-19 levels next year.
Photo: CNA
“We are here today to welcome the 4 millionth international tourist,” he said. “Experience tells us that less time is needed to add another 1 million arrivals so the goal of 6 million international visitors should be reached earlier than expected this year.”
Most of the visitors this year have been from Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and South Korea, Cheng said, citing Tourism Bureau data.
“It is our hope that visitors can see different aspects of Taiwan through in-depth, diversified and tourist-friendly tour services,” he said. “We also hope to see an increase in tourists from Southeast Asian nations and North America, and more Chinese tourists could arrive via a third country.”
International tourist arrivals on cruise ships should return to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels next year, from just 30 percent this year, Cheng said.
The Tourism Bureau later announced that South Korean Kim Ye-won was the 4 millionth international visitor this year.
The 3 millionth visitor arrived on July 21, it said.
Kim told reporters at Songshan airport that she was traveling with her mother and younger sister, and they would spend four days in Taiwan.
She said she looks forward to visiting Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) area, New Taipei City’s Jioufen District (九份) and other places.
The Tourism Bureau gave Kim and her family gifts and NT$5,000 each.
The three would visit Taiwan’s Michelin Guide star-rated restaurants, night markets and other tourist attractions, Chen said.
“Since the competition for spending money for international tourists was launched in May, it has generated positive responses and conversations on social media,” Cheng said. “The Tourism Bureau has also invited Internet celebrities to travel to Taiwan and market the nation as a safe travel destination. We hope these marketing efforts would continue contributing to the growth in tourism.”
From January to last month, tourists from Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe and North America had recovered to more than 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, while travelers from Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia have returned to more than 80 percent, Wang said.
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