TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Tourism Administration reported a significant drop of nearly 200,000 visitors in April, attributing the decrease to the impact of the 403 earthquake. Officials on Thursday (July 11) noted that international travelers either canceled or postponed their trips to Taiwan, although the numbers still show a year-over-year increase.
The Tourism Administration's statistics reveal that 610,146 visitors arrived in Taiwan in April 2024, a sharp decline from March's 810,000. Despite this, the April figures represent a 10.29% growth compared to the same period last year.
To reassure global travelers after the earthquake, the Tourism Administration quickly produced a promotional video emphasizing that, apart from Hualien's Taroko Gorge (太魯閣), other tourist spots remained unaffected.
Huang Cheng-tsung (黃正聰), an associate professor at Providence University's Department of Tourism, identified Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore as the markets most significantly impacted by the earthquake.
The Tourism Administration highlighted that visitor numbers from January to March this year showed year-over-year growth. According to the administration, March saw a peak of 810,000 visitors, mainly driven by the Taiwan Lantern Festival.