strategy

President Lai has vowed to coordinate a national strategy to strengthen
Taiwan's tourism sector, with the goal of boosting spending by domestic
travelers to NT$1 trillion by 2030.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Taipei International Travel Fair, Lai
said Taiwan should leverage its natural scenery, cuisine, and cultural
diversity through closer public-private collaboration.

Citing statistics from the Tourism Association, Lai said Taiwanese people
spend more than NT$1.4 trillion annually on tourism, of which around NT$900
billion goes to overseas travel and about NT$500 billion to domestic trips.

That indicates there's room for growth in the domestic market.

The occurrence of 33 public holidays spread across nine long weekends next
year and rising disposable incomes resulting from tax cuts and welfare
measures are among the tailwinds that Lai noted.

However, he also pointed to significant challenges, including cheap travel
opportunities in the region.

The president cited Japan as an example, noting that the number of trips made
by Taiwanese to Japan reached 6 million last year, mainly due to convenient
transportation and attractive airfares.

CNA_JvW