Taiwan Expects 9 Million Inbound Tourists This Year

To reach the goal of attracting nine million tourists this year, the Tourism Bureau has recently mapped out three approaches: negotiating with Chinese authorities to allow residents of more cities to come to the island as  free independent travelers (FIT), raising the ceiling of Chinese FITs allowed in daily from 3,000 to 4,000, and  simplifying visa applications for Southeast Asians coming to Taiwan.

Taiwan allowed in 2011 mainlanders to visit the island as FITs and saw more than 520,000 such tourists by the end of 2013, which could exceed one million by the end of 2014 if the FIT quota in Taiwan is further raised.

Last year some 830,000 Southeast Asians visited Taiwan, and this year the number is estimated to be over one million, with the Tourism Bureau also trying to attract visitors from South Korea and the Middle East.

If inbound tourists exceed nine million this year, then Taiwan may gain foreign exchange income of NT$400 billion (US$13.33 billion). (JL)