International tourist arrivals grew 26% in the first half of the year, ranking first globally; Japan and Mexico follow

▲ International tourist arrivals in Taiwan grew 26.7% in the first half of the year (January to June), ranking first globally. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

More and more international travelers are falling in love with Taiwan. According to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taiwan saw a 26.7% increase in international tourist arrivals in the first half of the year (January to June), securing the top spot worldwide. Japan came in second, and Mexico third.

In the UNWTO report, global international tourist arrivals in the first half of the year reached 517 million, an increase of 22 million compared to the same period last year, representing a growth rate of 4.6%. Despite the unstable global situation this year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization still predicts that the annual growth rate for the whole year could reach between 4% and 4.5%.

In terms of global regions, the Americas saw the highest growth rate in the first half of the year at 6%, the highest among the four regions, which the UNWTO attributes largely to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. This was followed by Asia and Oceania, and Europe at 5%, while Africa’s growth rate was 3%.

Among individual countries, Taiwan ranked first globally among the top 50 countries and regions with a 26.7% increase in international tourist arrivals in the first half of the year (January to June), surpassing Japan. This may be related to the recent surge in Korean tourists—according to tourism bureau statistics, the number of Korean visitors to Taiwan in the first half of the year increased by 80%.

The countries and regions ranking from second to tenth in international tourist arrival growth are: Japan with 26.4%, Mexico with 19.8%, South Korea with 18.5%, Greece and Argentina both with 16.7%, Vietnam with 15.6%, Poland with 13%, Portugal with 12.2%, Hong Kong with 10.5%, and Malaysia and Sweden both with 10.1%.

In the Asia-Pacific region, mainland China saw negative growth (-2%). Other countries with negative growth include Thailand (-10%) and Singapore (-3%), both experiencing political instability. (Source: Central News Agency)