TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Visa-free travel between Taiwan and the Philippines contributed to 470,000 Filipinos visiting Taiwan last year, with tourism officials expecting the number to exceed 600,000 in 2025.

Kaohsiung City showcased its eagerness to attract Filipino tourists by hosting a promotional event at the Taiwan Tourism Information Center in downtown Manila on Friday. The event highlighted the city’s top attractions along with the “Kaohsiung Bear,” per Liberty Times.

Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau Director Kao Min-ling (高閔琳) led a 60-member tourism delegation to Manila for the event and visits to several key Philippine tourism organizations. Kao said the promotion’s theme uses the Filipino slogan “Tara Na! Kaohsiung,” which translates to “Come to Kaohsiung.”

Taiwan’s representative to the Philippines Chou Ming-kan (周民淦) said the Philippines has become one of the top five countries for inbound tourists to Taiwan, with more than 310,000 visitors in the first half of this year. He said the Philippines will foster in-depth exchanges with Kaohsiung and assist in promoting direct charter flights and cruise ships.

Mike Hwang, general manager of Agoda Philippines, said that after Taiwan introduced visa-free travel for the Philippines in 2017, the share of tourists visiting Taiwan gradually increased. Hwang said current trends lead him to expect 1 million Filipino visitors by 2027.

Filipino travelers often heed the advice of social media influencers, he added. Hwang said the short travel time to Kaohsiung and high-value tourism services should attract a growing number of Filipino tourists.

A representative from AirAsia Philippines said the average load factor for Kaohsiung flights was about 83% in the first half of the year. He added that most passengers were independent travelers, showing strong momentum to add flights on the Kaohsiung route.

Cherie Bautista, general manager of Pan Pacific, one of the top three tour operators in the Philippines, said the company is focusing on outbound travel to Taiwan and themed packages such as cruises. It has already sold an eight-day, seven-night Taiwan package, which includes a two-night stay in Kaohsiung.