Kenting. (CNA file photo)

Taipei, June 9 (CNA) A MasterCard survey reveals that nearly 90 percent of Taiwanese residents had local vacations in 2015, with Kenting National Park in the southernmost county of Pingtung their top choice of travel destinations in the coming year.

The survey shows up to 87 percent of Taiwanese residents had staycations, a rate that is higher than the average of 69 percent in the Asia-Pacific region and the fourth-highest among any country in the region, lagging behind only Thailand, Malaysia and China.

In 2016, Taiwanese most want to travel to cities and counties in central and southern Taiwan, according to the latest MasterCard Survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities.

Kenting, which is known for its sunny tropical weather and beautiful beaches, emerged as the top tourist attraction for them, replacing Kaohsiung in last year's survey, while Tainan and Taichung remained in second and third places, respectively, according to the poll, which was conducted in November and December, 2015 in 17 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Taiwanese tourists spent an average of NT$9,323 (US$290) on each vacation per capita, mainly for accommodation, the poll shows.

The percentage of travel expenses that is spent on accommodation was the highest in the Asia-Pacific region, which reflects Taiwan's booming hospitality industry and the great importance domestic travelers attach to the quality of their vacations, according to the survey.

(By Tsai Yi-chu and Evelyn Kao)
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