Taipei: The number of outbound travelers from Taiwan reached unprecedented levels in 2025, with a year-on-year increase of more than 12 percent, as foreign arrivals also saw a 9 percent rise, according to the Tourism Administration.
According to Focus Taiwan, data compiled by the agency revealed that Taiwanese travelers going abroad numbered 18.94 million in 2025, marking a 12.43 percent increase from the previous year. The favored destinations included Japan, China, and Hong Kong/Macau. Meanwhile, the data showed that foreign arrivals totaled 8.57 million, reflecting a 9 percent rise from the previous year. Japan emerged as the leading source of tourists to Taiwan, followed by Hong Kong/Macau and South Korea.
The agency reported a difference of about 10.40 million between inbound and outbound tourists in 2025. This gap was attributed to several factors, including favorable foreign exchange rates, an increase in flight numbers post-COVID-19, and relaxed visa rules by foreign countries to attract Taiwanese travelers.
The longstanding trend, which has seen the annual number of outbound travelers exceed foreign arrivals since 1990, continues to benefit Taiwan-registered carriers, travel agencies, and insurance firms. The agency highlighted that each foreign traveler spent an average of US$1,276 during their stay in Taiwan, whereas each Taiwanese traveler spent an average of NT$55,541 (US$1,763) overseas in 2024. This spending pattern resulted in an estimated deficit of NT$700.98 billion in tourism value for Taiwan in 2025.
To address this, the agency plans to launch a campaign offering incentives to encourage foreign tourists to "visit Taiwan one more time." The initiative aims to attract visitors for trade exhibitions and concerts by well-known foreign artists.
Citing United Nations statistics, the agency reported Taiwan's international tourism income at US$10.03 billion in 2024. In the first nine months of the previous year, excluding cross-border airfares, Taiwan's international tourism income was estimated at US$7.89 billion, reflecting an 11.56 percent increase from the prior year.