Taiwan's outbound travelers hit new high in 2025; foreign arrivals up 9%

Taipei, Jan. 26 (CNA) The number of outbound travelers from Taiwan smashed previous records, rising more than 12 percent year on year, while the number of foreign arrivals rose 9 percent, the Tourism Administration said Monday.

Data compiled by the agency showed the number of Taiwanese travelers bound overseas hit 18.94 million in 2025, up 12.43 percent from a year earlier, with Japan, China and Hong Kong/Macau the three top destinations.

The data indicated foreign arrivals totaled 8.57 million in 2025, up about 9 percent from a year earlier, while Japan was the largest source of tourist visiting Taiwan followed by Hong Kong/Macau and South Korea.

The difference between inbound and outbound tourists in 2025 reached about 10.40 million, according to the agency.

The agency said the gap reflected several factors such as a foreign exchange rate in favor of foreign destinations, an increase in flight numbers in the post COVID-19 era and the move by foreign countries to ease visa rules to attract Taiwanese travelers.

According to the agency, the annual number of outbound travelers has exceeded the number of foreign arrivals since 1990, a trend that benefits Taiwan-registered carriers, travel agencies and insurance firms.

With each foreign traveler spending US$1,276 on average during his or her stay in Taiwan and each Taiwanese traveler spending NT$55,541 (US$1,763) on average overseas in 2024, the agency estimated that Taiwan had a deficit of NT$700.98 billion in tourism value in 2025.

The agency said it is gearing up to push for a campaign encouraging foreign tourists through incentives to "visit Taiwan one more time" and attract more visitors to come to trade exhibitions and attend concerts held by famous foreign artists in Taiwan.

In 2024, Taiwan's international tourism income totaled US$10.03 billion, the agency said citing United Nations statistics.

In the first nine months of last year, Taiwan's international tourism income, excluding cross-border air fares, is estimated to have totaled US$7.89 billion, up 11.56 percent from a year earlier, the UN data showed.