TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Tourism Administration organized an event in Manila promoting Taiwan tourism on Monday to attract more Filipino travelers.

The event featured a presentation on Taiwan's tourism resources. Over 40 Taiwanese businesses participated in B2B meetings with more than 150 Philippine travel agencies, CNA reported.

Taiwan’s representative to the Philippines, Wallace Chow (周民淦), said that from last January to November, more than 415,000 Filipinos visited Taiwan, comprising the majority of travelers from Southeast Asian countries.

Chow said that if December's travel numbers are included, Filipino visitors to Taiwan in 2024 total approximately 470,000.

He predicted that with the establishment of the Taiwan Tourism Information Center in Makati City in December, the availability of up to 250 weekly flights between Taiwan and the Philippines, and the continuation of Taiwan's visa-free entry for Filipinos, the number of visitors could exceed 500,000 this year.

Chen Yi-Ting (陳憶婷), director of the Tourism Administration’s Bangkok Office, said that the Philippines remains a key target market for Taiwan due to its population exceeding 100 million and rising disposable income driven by economic growth.