TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Tourism Administration hopes the number of tourists visiting Taiwan this year will total between 7.5 million and 8 million, reports said Friday.
The initial goal when the year started was 12 million, or slightly more than the 11 million reached before COVID-19 halted travel.
China’s refusal to allow tour groups to cross the Taiwan Strait contributed to the administration lowering its target to 10 million at the beginning of the year.
Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) told reporters Friday that with fewer than two weeks left, the number was certain to exceed 7.5 million, per CNA.
Another target is to raise the average daily spending by tourists from US$180 (NT$5,883) to the pre-pandemic average of US$195, he said.
Chou hoped foreign visitors would buy more duty-free goods such as liquor and handbags, saying they were cheaper in Taiwan than, for example, in Thailand. The Tourism Administration also wants to step up cooperation with local farms and factories that are open to visitors.