The most welcoming country for Chinese tourists — Taiwan ranks 7th

▲ Yuan Yuntong, Marketing and Sales Director of Sherwood Hotel; Chen Zhicheng, Manager of Checker Inn; and Peggy Chuang, Greater China Marketing Director of Hotels.com, discuss the accommodation situation for Chinese tourists in Taiwan.

Reported and photographed by You T-Ru / Taipei

According to statistics from the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan has been rising year after year. Nearly 40% of Taiwanese hotel operators noted that Chinese tourists' spending accounts for over 20% or more of their hotel revenue. A leading hotel booking website released its latest “Chinese International Travel Monitor,” which shows that among the countries where Chinese tourists feel most welcomed, the people-friendly Taiwan ranks 7th.


▲ Peggy Chuang, Greater China Marketing Director of Hotels.com.

The survey found that millennials aged between 25 and 34 will become the mainstream, expected to make up 35% of all outbound Chinese travelers by 2019. 75.6% of Taiwanese hotel operators surveyed also reported a noticeable increase in Chinese tourists under the age of 35, with over 30% stating that millennial guests had increased by 11% to 25% over the past twelve months.

The continued expansion of cities eligible for independent travel to Taiwan and the growing number of cross-strait flight routes have kept the popularity of travel to Taiwan among Chinese tourists high. The report indicates that Taiwan has significantly risen in the ranking of the most popular international travel destinations for Chinese tourists, now ranked 5th globally. Taiwan has also jumped to 10th place on the list of top 10 travel aspirations for Chinese tourists abroad. Additionally, according to search data from Hotels.com China from January to May, Taipei is the 2nd most searched destination among Chinese tourists. Furthermore, among the countries where Chinese tourists feel most welcomed, the people-friendly Taiwan ranks 7th.

Peggy Chuang, Greater China Marketing Director of Hotels.com, stated that Chinese tourists love visiting Taiwan, with independent travelers showing the highest growth, and the millennial demographic bringing their own perspectives and travel styles. The ranking of the most welcoming countries for Chinese tourists takes into account factors such as language accessibility and signage convenience.

Top 10 most popular international travel destinations for Chinese tourists in 2014
1 United States
2 Thailand
3 Hong Kong
4 Japan
5 Taiwan
6 South Korea
7 France
8 Australia
9 Italy
10 United Kingdom

Top countries Chinese tourists want to visit in the next year
1 Australia
2 Japan
3 France
4 Hong Kong
5 South Korea
6 United States
7 Maldives
8 Germany
9 Thailand
10 Taiwan

The country/region most welcomed by Chinese travelers
1 South Korea
2 Thailand
3 Japan
4 Singapore
5 Maldives
6 Hong Kong
7 Taiwan
8 France
9 Australia
10 Macao