《TAIPEI TIMES》Tourism spending booming: agency

Travelers walk in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Taoyuan International Airport Corp

CHANGING INTEREST:More travelers are visiting historical sites and southern Taiwan, and participating in outdoor activities, reflecting an interest in cultural and ecological tourism

By Shelley Shan / Staff Reporter International visitors spent a record US$11.03 billion last year in Taiwan, with tourism revenue growing faster than visitor arrivals as travelers increasingly opted for cultural and outdoor experiences over shopping, a Tourism Administration survey showed yesterday.

Taiwan welcomed 8.57 million international visitors last year, 9.1 percent more than a year earlier. Total tourism spending, excluding international airfares, rose 10 percent to US$11.03 billion, outpacing the growth in arrivals by nearly 1 percentage point, the survey showed.

Average daily spending edged up about 1.3 percent to US$185.14, while the average length of was steady at 6.95 nights, the survey found.

The results suggest Taiwan’s tourism industry is gradually shifting from simply attracting more visitors to increasing tourism value and diversifying its international markets, the agency said.

It identified five major trend shaping inbound tourism: travelers are planning their trips earlier; independent travel continues to dominate; experience-oriented spending is increasing; travel itineraries are becoming more diverse; and a broader range of source markets is supporting growth.

International travelers began planning their Taiwan trips an average of 46.74 days before departure, compared with 41.05 days in 2024, while 76.4 percent of visitors traveled independently rather than with tour groups, the survey showed.

Personal travel blogs and online reviews were the two most influential sources of information, suggesting that authentic travel experiences and social media recommendations have become increasingly important in attracting overseas visitors, the agency said.

While leisure tourists continued to account for the majority of visitors, those who come for incentive tours, conferences and exhibitions generated substantially higher tourism revenue, the survey found.

Visitors who come for conferences and exhibitions spent an average of US$274.51 per person per day, while other business travelers spent US$235.38, both well above the overall average of US$185.14, the agency said.

Entertainment spending by visitors attending conferences and exhibitions climbed 42 percent from a year earlier to US$13.59 per day, it said.

Average visitor spending remained concentrated on accommodation, dining and shopping, with hotel expenses accounting for US$77.43 per day, meals outside hotels US$39.19 and shopping US$33.92, it added.

Entertainment spending saw the fastest annual growth among all expenditure categories, rising 7.8 percent from 2024, it said.

Compared with pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, average daily entertainment spending increased by 65 percent, while shopping expenditure dropped 34.4 percent, the survey found.

Night markets remained Taiwan’s most popular attraction, visited by 86.9 percent of international travelers. Food topped the list of visitors’ most memorable experiences, followed by night markets and natural scenery. Compared with 2019, more travelers visited historical sites and participated in outdoor activities such as hiking. The south surpassed central Taiwan as the nation’s second-most visited region, reflecting growing interest in regional, cultural and ecological tourism.

Japan remained Taiwan’s largest individual source market, accounting for 17.3 percent of arrivals, the agency said.

Despite accounting for only 8.3 percent of international visitors, US travelers generated US$1.70 billion in tourism spending, exceeding Japan’s US$1.38 billion, it said.

US travelers stayed an average of 9.81 nights and spent US$242.84 per day, both well above the overall average, it added.

The survey showed that Taiwan’s efforts to diversify its tourism markets is paying off. The number of visitors from the Philippines, India, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Europe and Indonesia all exceeded their pre-pandemic levels. The seven key markets targeted by the New Southbound Policy together accounted for 30.1 percent of visitor arrivals and 33.8 percent of total tourism spending last year.

Overall visitor satisfaction remained high, averaging 4.62 out of 5, with more than 99 percent of respondents expressing satisfaction with their trips and nearly all saying they would visit Taiwan again.

The highest-rated aspects of Taiwan were the friendliness of its people, public safety, convenient transportation and the safety of its tourism environment, the agency said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES