Jiufen and Sun Moon Lake ranked as the most popular attractions

By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

According to Tourism Bureau statistics, the number of visitors to Taiwan last year reached 5.567 million, an increase of 26.67%, setting a new historical record. Among them, mainland China replaced Japan as the largest source of tourists. The total annual tourism foreign exchange earnings amounted to approximately NT$275.9 billion, an increase of 27.92%, also a new high. The survey results show that the highest-rated attractions were “Jiufen” and “Sun Moon Lake,” which were also the most favored by Japanese and mainland Chinese tourists respectively.

Among the main attractions visited by tourists in Taiwan, night markets ranked first, with Shilin Night Market being the most frequented, accounting for as much as 49%. Kaohsiung's Liuhe Night Market came in second, followed by Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, Sun Moon Lake, and Yehliu. In the past three years, among Asian neighboring countries visited for tourism purposes, the top three most liked countries other than Taiwan were Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong/Macao. When comparing their favorite Asian neighboring

In 2010, the average daily expenditure per inbound traveler to Taiwan was USD 221.84, an increase of 2.56%. Among the major Asian markets, Japanese travelers had the highest average daily expenditure at USD 283.81, followed by those from Mainland China. In terms of shopping spending in Taiwan, Mainland Chinese travelers had the highest average daily shopping expenditure at USD 138.1, followed by Japanese travelers. Among Mainland Chinese tour groups, the most significant expenditures were on “local specialties or souvenirs,” “jewelry and jade,” and “clothing or related accessories.”