Pinoys help reshape Taiwan tourism

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Despite the geopolitical noise created by threats of invasion, Taiwan remains as an attractive tourist destination for Filipinos.

And that charm comes from Taiwan’s overall efforts to reshape its tourism industry by luring more holiday-makers from Southeast Asia, who are now coming to the island in numbers close to the years before pandemic lockdowns kept people in their homes.

Latest data from the Taiwan Tourism Administration show that total international arrivals in Taiwan had grown by 27.14 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2024 to 5.5 million. The figure, however, is still below the 8.8 million arrivals recorded during the same period in 2019, or before the pandemic.

But zooming in, travelers from Southeast Asia had jumped by 10.5 percent in the January to September period to 1.68 million, already close to pre-COVID-19 level. Notably, Filipinos cornered the largest share of Southeast Asian visitors to the island after clocking in a 38.77-percent growth to 338,386—almost hitting the number recorded in the same nine-month period in 2019.

“Taiwan is surrounded by mountains and seas, with rich and diverse natural landscapes. With the beautiful scenery, tourists can always find their inner peace by immersing themselves with the tranquility of Taiwan,” Cindy Chen, director of the Tourism Administration, tells the Inquirer in an interview during a familiarization tour on the island’s capital of Taipei.

“With such reasons, tourists are eager to revisit Taiwan and discover its charm through different aspects,” Chen adds.

Taipei 101 skyscraper

Plenty of choices

This, in turn, is helping Taiwan’s economy that—albeit technology-focused and export-oriented—has a vibrant tourism sector that generates jobs for many people working in places like the famous night markets.

”Whether in big cities or small towns, from street food to fine dining, there are plenty of choices to satisfy different needs,” Chen says.

As it is, Southeast Asian travelers are picking up the slack from the still weak number of Chinese visitors, who are now being outnumbered by travelers from the Philippines alone.

Official data show that unlike in the past years when mainland China was the top source of international arrivals to Taiwan, the share of Chinese visitors to total foreign travelers to the island has shrunk to just around 5 percent. The Tourism Administration reports that only 293,235 Chinese from the mainland visited the island in the first nine months of 2024, coinciding with rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In early June, Taipei visitors can witness the annual Dragon Boat Festival.

Planning a trip?

It thus makes perfect sense that Taiwan now sees the Philippines as an important market. Filipinos currently enjoy visa-free entry to Taiwan for up to 14 days. At the same time, Taiwan is the closest neighbor of the Philippines in the north, with major airlines offering flights between the two destinations.

And Filipinos are making the most out of their visits. According to the latest data from the Tourism Administration, Filipinos stayed for an average of 6.31 nights in Taiwan—mostly for leisure—during the January to September period, albeit the shortest among Southeast Asian visitors.

Night markets such as the most famous one in Shilin District

Best time to go

And if you are planning a trip to Taiwan, Chen says holidaymakers from the Philippines may time their visit during the Dragon Boat Festival, which is generally held in early June around the summer solstice according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

This year, the Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships held last June 8 to 10 at the picturesque Dajia Riverside Park in Zhongshan District in Taipei was a spectacular showcase of modern cityscape, riverside development and rich tradition that attracted skilled teams of rowers from Taiwan and around the globe.

“Plenty of races will be organized from northern to southern Taiwan. There are more customs for tourists to experience during the holiday,” Chen says.