Tourism figures defy international trend
By Freesun News at 20 October, 2009, 2:24 pm
Taiwan shrugged off the effects of a slump in worldwide tourism for the first nine months of 2009, with inbound visitor numbers increasing 11.54 percent year-on-year.
Some 3.17 million travelers arrived on the island during this period, according to statistics released by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. This compared to a global decline of 4 to 6 percent for the year as forecast by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
The number of visitors from mainland China surged 206 percent from the year before, accounting for 21 percent of Taiwan’s total inbound arrivals from January to September. Visitors from Hong Kong and Macau tallied 17 percent.
Arrivals from the West also contributed to the island’s healthy numbers. Europe and the United States increased 21.89 and 6.19 percent respectively.
The bureau cites improved transportation networks, which have reduced traveling times in many parts of the country, as a reason for the local tourism industry’s resilience.
A maximum journey time of two hours on the high-speed rail allows visitors to conduct one-day tours of southern Tainan or Kaohsiung. In addition, the new highway linking Taipei and Yilan County has increased access to the region.
Among the few Asian countries to similarly buck the global tourism downturn were South Korea and Malaysia. The bureau said South Korea’s performance was due to its depreciated currency. (HML-JSM)
(The article originally appeared in the “Commercial Times” Oct. 17, 2009.)
Related posts:
- Asia Pacific tourism trending upwards Figures released today by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) show that the numbers...
- Times Square revelers to ring in 2010 with Taiwan ad An ad promoting travel in Taiwan will appear in New York City’s Times Square on...
- Belgian grandma receives surprise welcome at Taipei 101 Taipei, Sept.24 (CNA) It came as a big surprise for Christiana Raman of Belgium when...
No comments yet.