News Flash / Outbound Tour Prices to Rise in April; Only Thailand and Malaysia See a Drop of NT$1,000

▲ Due to factors such as cherry blossom season, travel costs to Japan continue to rise. (Photo / Provided by the Kawazu-zakura Festival Executive Committee)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

The Travel Quality Assurance Association of the Republic of China announced on March 12th the reference prices for tour groups from April to June 2014, with prices for most destinations increasing. However, due to weak demand in Thailand and Malaysia, operators are offering promotional tours to stimulate interest, resulting in a drop of about NT$1,000 compared to the same quarter last year.

Among them, the highly popularJapanregion, despite benefiting from a weaker exchange rate, is seeing price hikes of approximately NT$1,000–6,000 per person across various areas due to the upcoming cherry blossom season, the opening of Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, and the lavender season in Hokkaido. Group tours in the Hokuriku Tateyama Kurobe area start at around NT$30,900.

South Koreais also experiencing higher prices due to the cherry blossom season, the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, and the influence of idol dramas. In addition, a surge of Korean tourists visiting Taiwan due to the drama “Grandpas Over Flowers” has impacted flight availability between Taiwan and South Korea. As a result, prices for Seoul and Busan have risen by about NT$2,000–3,000, while Jeju Island, entering its peak tourist season, has seen an increase of about NT$1,000–2,000.

In theMainland China

region, areas such as North China, East China, and the Northwest are entering their peak travel seasons, with price increases ranging from NT$2,000 to NT$12,000 depending on the location. Other regions have seen slight price reductions.The Southeast Asiaregion, due to

Thailand and Malaysiaexperiencing weak demand, operators are using promotional tours to attract customers, resulting in a drop of about NT$1,000 compared to the same quarter last year. Destinations like Boracay and Cebu have seen slight price increases due to flight supply and demand.

In theIndochinaregion, the market is growing steadily with the launch of premium resort packages and golf tours, resulting in a slight overall increase.For long-haul destinations,the United States

has seen increases of NT$2,000–5,000 for travel in April–May, and NT$4,000–6,000 in June, due to rising hotel, transportation, and admission fees.Canadahas also experienced a price increase of NT$1,000–3,000 due to rising local costs.The

Europe

region, entering its spring peak season along with high euro and pound exchange rates, has seen overall price hikes of at least NT$6,000.