INTERVIEW/Taiwan prioritizes quality tourism, aims for 10m visitors: Minister

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) Taiwan is shifting its tourism strategy to focus on quality over quantity, while still aiming to attract 10 million foreign visitors this year, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said Wednesday.

"We want visitors to not only come but to have an unforgettable experience that encourages longer stays and greater spending," Chen said in an interview with CNA.

To achieve this objective, the government is collaborating with industries such as healthcare and technology to offer high-end travel experiences, including medical tourism and scenic railway tours, he said.

At the same time, Taiwan is addressing cost-related challenges, particularly a labor shortage in the hotel sector, which has driven up accommodation prices, Chen said.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is working with the Ministry of Labor to expand pathways for hiring skilled foreign workers in hospitality, he said.

The minister also said that Taiwan's visitor demographics has changed over the past few years. "In the past, American and European travelers were rarely seen in Taiwan, so visitors from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao dominated" he said.

In recent years, the number of Western travelers has been increasing, with the United States now Taiwan's fourth-largest source market for visitors, Chen said, praising their high spending power.

The minister expressed hope that "high-end" travelers will come to Taiwan for in-dept tours. "It is important to enhance tourism value," he said.

In 2024, Taiwan welcomed 7.86 million foreign tourists, falling short of its 10 million target, according to data from the Tourism Administration under the MOTC.

The top five sources of foreign visitors that year were Japan (accounting for 16.8 percent of total visitor arrivals), Hong Kong (15.2 percent), South Korea (12.8 percent), the U.S. (8.3 percent), and the Philippines (5.9 percent), the data showed.

Despite this focus on quality, Chen said the government remains committed to increasing overall visitor numbers, stressing that promotional efforts are underway to ensure Taiwan remains competitive in attracting international travelers.