The estimated number of foreign arrivals in Taiwan in 2030 is expected to be about 20 percent lower than previously forecast, the Tourism Bureau said Monday, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the uncertainly caused by the pandemic, the bureau said, it has cut its forecast for foreign arrivals in 2030 to around 16 million, from an estimate of 20 million that it had given in a 2019 white paper.
The pandemic has forced Taiwan to close its borders to most non-residents, which has resulted in an 88.39 percent annual drop in foreign arrivals, from 11.86 million in 2019 to 1.38 million in 2020, the bureau said.
Amid continued uncertainly in the global tourism industry, foreign arrivals to Taiwan are not expected to start picking up again until 2022, and they may not return to the 2019 level until 2024, the bureau said.
By 2030, foreign arrivals will range between 15.16 million and 16.70 million, the bureau forecast.
The Tourism Bureau last year lowered its 2025 forecast to between 12.46 million and 13.09 million foreign arrivals, and on Monday it cut its estimate further, projecting 11.86 million to 11.93 million.
Domestic tourism in 2030 is also not expected to meet earlier estimates, the bureau said, lowering its forecast for domestic trips in 2030 from 240 million to between 200 million and 215 million.
In 2025, domestic trips will range between 175 million and 200 million, the bureau said, compared with its earlier estimate from a range of 175 million to 190 million made in 2020.
Meanwhile, the production value of Taiwan’s domestic tourism industry in 2030 is expected to be NT$1.097 billion (US$39.18 billion) to NT$1.006 trillion, the bureau said, cutting its forecast from NT$1.7 trillion.
In 2025, the sector’s output will range between NT$82.10 million and NT$88.15 million, compared with the 2020 estimate of NT$85.06 million to NT$90.70 million, the bureau said.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the bureau said, Taiwan will continue to work towards its goal of becoming a major Asian destination for foreign tourists by promoting its successful containment of the disease and other achievements.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel