Everyone’s prices are rising—except for New Zealand and Australia, which are dropping!” Summer tour packages this year are up to 6,000 yuan cheaper than last year.

▲ Tour prices across all major routes have surged this summer compared to last year, with only Australia seeing a price drop. (Photo / Tourism and Events Queensland, Australia)

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

As the northern hemisphere moves into the height of summer, the southern hemisphere is in winter. The Travel Quality Assurance Association of the Republic of China recently released the pricing for this season’s summer tour packages. While prices have risen in Northeast Asia—especially in Japan, where costs have increased by 5,000 yuan, marking the highest in five years—tour prices in Mainland China, North America, Canada, and Europe have also gone up. Meanwhile, New Zealand and Australia are 2,000–6,000 yuan more affordable than the same period last summer, with Australia experiencing the largest drop. Families planning to travel only during the summer holidays are advised to plan ahead.

The Travel Quality Assurance Association stated:New Zealand and AustraliaAlthough prices are still 3,000–6,000 yuan higher compared to the previous quarter, airlines have raised summer peak-season ticket prices less this year, resulting in significantly lower overall package costs compared to last year. In Australia, prices have dropped by around 6,000 yuan, while New Zealand is about 2,000 yuan cheaper. As Australia is in winter this season, tour packages are mainly promoting tropical and subtropical Queensland destinations, including the Gold Coast, Cairns in the Great Barrier Reef area, and Hamilton Island—all ideal spots for family travel.

North Americais also a peak season for family travel this summer. Due to increases in local hotel and attraction prices this year, tour package fees have risen accordingly. Compared to the same period last year, prices in the U.S. have gone up by 1,000–5,000 yuan, while in Canada they’ve increased by 6,000–15,000 yuan.

In Europe,demand exceeds the availability of flight seats, leading to a price increase of about 3,000–5,000 yuan compared to last year, and 3,000–8,000 yuan compared to the previous quarter. Middle Eastern routes have seen significant fare hikes from foreign airlines, with prices 3,000–5,000 yuan higher than last year and 6,000–10,000 yuan more than the previous quarter. For Mainland China routes, prices have risen by approximately 2,000–5,000 yuan compared to last year. Southeast Asia, on the other hand, has seen relatively stable tour package prices or slight decreases compared to the same period last year, as airfares are cheaper despite recent political instability.

The most closely watchedIndochina region, including Vietnam,has traditionally seen smaller seasonal fluctuations during summer. However, with slight increases in local transportation and attraction fees this year, prices are about 500–1,000 yuan higher than last year. Cai Jiahuang, chairman of Hongyi Travel Agency, mentioned that if the ongoing unrest in Vietnam persists, there could be a 20–30% cancellation rate for Vietnam tours. However, due to Vietnam’s already low airfare prices, there is limited room for further reductions.