Record-breaking number of Taiwanese travelers to Japan; airlines open new routes

▲ Beautiful Mount Fuji in Japan. (Photo / Courtesy of Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, Natural Environment Bureau)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

How much do Taiwanese people love traveling to Japan? From January to September this year, the number of Taiwanese visitors to Japan approached 1.7 million, and it is estimated that the annual total will exceed 1.8 million, setting a new historical record. Credit card companies have also reported that Japan is the most desired overseas travel destination for Taiwanese. Capitalizing on the public’s strong preference for Japan, Taiwanese and Japanese airlines are preparing to launch four new routes to attract more passengers, among which low-cost carriers are particularly favored due to their affordable ticket prices.

As of September this year, the number of visitors to Japan has already hit a new high, and the full-year figure is also set to break records. Japan’s Peach Aviation will launch the Osaka–Kaohsiung route on January 18 next year, with ample seat availability. Meanwhile, Vanilla Air, which has recently sparked controversy, will begin its Tokyo Narita–Taoyuan route on December 20. The official website price is only 1,000 Japanese yen (approximately NT$300), but the route and ticket sales are not yet finalized due to application and sales issues.

▲ Japan’s low-cost carrier Peach Aviation (Photo / Courtesy ofPeach Aviation’s Facebook fan page)

On the Taiwanese side, Mandarin Airlines will launch its Taichung–Osaka route on October 27, initially operating five flights per week. Before November 20, group bookings of two people or more will be available at a promotional price of just over NT$11,000 per person (excluding tax), and a five-day, four-night group tour package is priced at just over NT$26,000. Starting November 11, EVA Air will begin operating the Kaohsiung–Tokyo Narita route, with one flight per day.

Some travelers have said that they visited Japan twice last year alone because low-cost airline tickets are relatively inexpensive, and the depreciation of the Japanese yen has helped them save a lot on travel expenses. In the future, if more airlines and routes are added, consumers will have more options, and ticket prices may become even more affordable.