LACK OF VISITORS: Lawmakers said the tourism industry has recovered to about 60 percent of income since the COVID-19 pandemic, worse than other regional nations
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By Tsai Yun-jung and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday voted to suspend NT$110 million (US$3.35 million) of the Tourism Administration’s funding, saying that officials failed to meet last year’s target of 10 million foreign tourists.
Lawmakers from across the political divide earlier advanced multiple motions to slash the agency’s budget. It can restore the funding if it submits a written report to address the committee’s concerns.
Taiwan last year welcomed 7.85 million foreign tourists, well short of the government’s original target of 12 million and its revised target of 10 million, lawmakers said, citing agency data.
Legislators attend a meeting of the Transportation Committee at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
As of September last year, about 7.2 million more Taiwanese visited foreign nations than foreigners visited Taiwan, they said.
In 2023, 6.49 million tourists visited Taiwan, with each spending an average of US$180.6 and staying 7.39 nights, totaling US$14.4 billion in tourism income, they said.
In 2019, 11.9 million tourists visited, with each spending an average of US$195.91 and 6.2 nights, totaling US$8.6 billion, they said.
That means the tourism industry has recovered to about 60 percent of its annual income from before the COVID-19 pandemic, less than the 70 to 80 percent recovery reported by other nations in the Asia-Pacific region, they said.
Taiwan’s global tourism ranking as measured by the ratio of tourism income to GDP slid to 65th last year, down from 56th in 2022, lawmakers said.
Last year, hotels reported occupancy rates of less than 50 percent, they said.
The number of illegal hotels and hostels in the year to September was 1,509, up 168 from June despite the agency’s vow to crack down on unlicensed operators, they said.
Agency officials would improve and expand a program to market local attractions, Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said.
The underperformance of tourism in Taiwan compared with other nations in the region might be a reflection of underfunding, Chou said.
