TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Tourism Administration (觀光署), the island's national tourism agency, targets 10 million visitors this year despite missing last year's goal with 7,857,686 arrivals. Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) announced Thursday (July 24) that officials expect over 9 million visitors in 2025, citing a robust 10 percent increase in first-half arrivals. The ambitious projection reflects Taiwan's determination to rebound from pandemic-era tourism declines and establish the island as a premier Asian destination.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC, 交通部) Taiwan's transport ministry reported that Taiwan welcomed over 4.19 million visitors during the first six months of 2025. Chen, who assumed her leadership role in June, emphasized the critical importance of second-half performance for achieving annual tourism targets. Addressing Taiwan's parliament the Legislative Yuan (立法院), she outlined plans to introduce innovative attractions designed to entice more international visitors to the island.
Domestic tourism demonstrated equally encouraging growth patterns across Taiwan's internal travel market. Ministry data revealed that Taiwanese citizens completed 222 million domestic trips in 2024, exceeding both 2023 levels and pre-pandemic figures from 2019. Same-day excursions have surged dramatically, with approximately 75 percent of domestic travel in 2024 embodying the popular "light travel" (輕旅行) trend that significantly impacts traditional hospitality industry revenue models.
Chen expressed confidence that Taiwan's highly efficient transportation infrastructure can revitalize the hospitality sector through strategic themed tourism initiatives. Regarding cross-strait tourism between Taiwan and mainland China, she noted that several hundred thousand Chinese visitors arrived via third countries this year, with emphasis on professional and academic exchanges. The Tourism Administration's comprehensive initiatives seek to capitalize on emerging travel patterns while enhancing Taiwan's international tourism appeal and competitiveness. ◼
