Скачать или смотреть More tourists visit Taiwan independently as tour group packages lose popularity

Statistics released by the Transportation Ministry’s Tourism Bureau reveal that 8.2 million tourists visited Taiwan independently in 2016. Only 23 percent of visitors came in guided tour groups. Travel industry professionals say that the trend towards independent travel will create a more level playing field and promote positive developments in the industry. Many tourists come to Yongkang Street in the heart of Taipei specifically to try the sweet and tangy delicacy of mango shaved ice. Others head for the National Palace Museum. But these days, most are traveling independently.According to statistics from the Transportation Ministry’s Tourism Bureau, last year nearly 10.7 million tourists visited Taiwan. Almost 80 percent of those – around 8.2 million - came independently without a tour group, the highest number in the last four years. Guided tour participants fell dramatically, however, to only 23 percent of the total. Even Chinese tourists, who have historically favored guided tours, have swung in greater numbers towards independent travel for the first time.Muse FangTour Guide Platform CreatorWe get large-scale orders from groups of 80 or 100 people, but they’re direct customers. They tell us they don’t want to travel around on a tourist schedule in a big tour bus like the old days. It’s bound to make the market a more level playing field, and let all visitors get a deeper experience of authentic local culture.Travel industry professionals say that visitors from Southeast Asia have increased noticeably due to the government’s New Southbound Policy of bolstering ties with Southeast Asia. As the tourist industry gradually finds a new shape, it seems that package holidays are a thing of the past.