Visitors from Hong Kong/Macao overtake Japan as largest group of tourists to Taiwan｜Taiwan News

A sign of post-pandemic recovery is the sight of foreign visitors on the streets. However, Japan, the country that sent the highest number of visitors to Taiwan before the pandemic, has fallen to the number two spot. According to the Tourism Administration, the places where the highest number of tourists came from are Hong Kong and Macao. The reason, according to experts, is the depreciation of the Japanese yen.

A long line has formed in Taipei’s Ximending early in the morning on a weekend. These people, it turns out, are foreign tourists waiting to get their pictures taken on Taipei’s rainbow crosswalk.

Tourist from Thailand
Because it is close to Thailand. It is, I have to say, not expensive.

Taiwan’s great variety of food, as well as its popular tourist destinations like Jiufen Old Street and the National Palace Museum, have caught the attention of foreigners. According to the Tourism Administration, last year, Hong Kong and Macao ranked first with over 1.19 million people visiting Taiwan from the two territories. Japan ranked second with 928,000 visitors, and South Korea came in third at 744,000 visitors. Meanwhile, more than 400,000 visitors each from Malaysia and Singapore came to Taiwan for sightseeing.

Tourists from Hong Kong
We go Shopping. There’re lots of good gifts. We were just here in August. We’ve come two or three times, once every year.

The latest figures are quite different from those of 2019. Before the pandemic, Japanese tourists ranked the highest at 2.16 million. Last year, however, there were just 928,000 visitors from Japan. Experts say the depreciation of the yen had a lot to do with the drop.

Huang Cheng-tsung
Dept. of Tourism professor, Providence University
The depreciation of the yen has led to higher costs for Japanese when they go abroad. Also, Hong Kong is closer to Taiwan. Another thing is, many Hong Kong tourists had come to Taiwan to study in the past, so they already have a close connection with Taiwan.

Another reason for the rise of tourists from Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia is government policy. Until the end of July this year, travelers from the Philippines, Thailand, and Brunei can visit Taiwan without a visa. Moreover, up till the end of June 2025, foreign passport holders who travel independently can enter a lottery to obtain NT$5,000-worth of vouchers if they register within seven days before arrival. Tour groups made up of four or more people can also apply for NT$5,000- to NT$50,000-worth of vouchers. All this is so that the government can reach the goal of 12 million international tourists coming to Taiwan in 2024.

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