TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The new Tourism Administration plans to redress the tourist imbalance with Japan by attracting birdwatchers and trainspotters, reports said Friday (Sept. 15).

During January-July 2023, 2.59 million tourists traveled between the two countries, but only 400,000 were Japanese heading for Taiwan. The number of Taiwanese visiting Japan reached 70% of pre-pandemic figures, though the number of Japanese traveling to Taiwan only stood at 33% of pre-COVID levels for the first half of 2023.

Taiwan will use special themes to attract more visitors from Japan, said Chou Yung-hui (周永暉), the first director-general of the Tourism Administration, which was launched Friday. Japan counted numerous railroad fans and birdwatchers, while Taiwan could also relaunch a “buy one, get one free” formula for train and high-speed rail tickets to entice more visitors to head south, he added.

Encouraging school graduation trips and visits by cruises also featured prominently among the administration’s ideas for Japanese travelers, per CNA. However, Chou noted that the current exchange rate for the yen and the fact that only 30 million Japanese held passports allowing them to travel overseas also contributed to the travel deficit.

Friday marked the upgrading of Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau to a Tourism Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC). One of its first missions will be to achieve the government's aim of attracting 6 million visitors to Taiwan for 2023.