TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Tourism Administration (交通部觀光署) reported on Thursday (Feb. 6) a significant shift in Southeast Asian travel trends, with the Philippines (菲律賓) emerging as the top source of visitors to Taiwan from January to November 2024.
Over 410,000 Filipinos visited Taiwan, surpassing the usual leaders, Malaysia (馬來西亞) and Singapore (新加坡), the data found. The administration's statistics revealed that 415,635 visitors from the Philippines marked its rise to the top spot, followed by Malaysia with 384,000, Singapore with 376,000, Thailand (泰國) with 356,000, and Vietnam (越南) with 344,000.
The Tourism Administration noted that the full-year statistics are pending, but December's peak travel season suggests the Philippines will maintain its lead, marking its first time as the largest Southeast Asian source of visitors to Taiwan.
Globally, the Philippines is projected to rank fifth in visitors to Taiwan in 2024, trailing Japan (日本), Hong Kong and Macau (港澳), South Korea (韓國), and the United States (美國). To strengthen the tourism trade platform between Taiwan and the Philippines, the administration plans to participate in the Philippine Travel Expo and host two promotional events on Feb. 10 and 11 in Manila (馬尼拉) and the Clark Freeport Zone (克拉克經濟特區).
