Travel and Rediscovery: The New Value of Taiwan Tourism
Travel is more than reaching a destination. It is a journey of rediscovering the land beneath our feet. Every journey reveals something new, and every trip to Taiwan brings fresh surprises and lasting memories.
In 2025, the Taiwan Tourism Administration organized a series of seasonal tourism events, including the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Solar Festival in Taiwan, Taiwan Cycling Festival, and Taiwan Hot Spring Festival. We also unveiled the second edition of the Taiwan Tourism 100 Spotlights, showcasing even more of Taiwan's distinctive local attractions and hidden gems. To better connect Taiwan's mountains, coastlines, and local stories, we introduced Journey to the Heart of Taiwan's True Colors, inviting travelers to visit Indigenous communities, experience the richness of Taiwan's diverse cultures, and rediscover the island's most authentic and inspiring landscapes. We also launched the inaugural Sacred Journey to Alishan, an innovative travel experience that brings together religious heritage, ecotourism, and the cultural legacy of the Alishan Forest Railway. From an elevation of 1,314 meters above sea level, visitors can overlook idyllic rolling tea plantations while experiencing the deep integration of local religious culture and the local tea industry.
Among the values held dear by the people of Taiwan is the spirit of offering tea ("fengcha"), a tradition that reflects Taiwan's warmth, care, and hospitality. In this spirit, we introduced the concept of the Traveler Convenience Store, integrating our Mobile Travel Service PWA, the OhBear AI Assistant, and cross-industry partnerships with convenience store chains to provide travelers with timely and convenient tourism services while seamlessly integrating travel information into their journeys. At the same time, we continue to promote green tourism, low-carbon transportation, and sustainable accommodations, ensuring that tourism development and environmental stewardship advance hand in hand.
Taiwan's tourism industry continued to grow steadily in 2025. Driven by the increasing popularity of shorter, more frequent, and more leisurely trips, domestic tourism reached a historic high of 250 million person-trips, generating NT$564.3 billion in economic value. International visitor markets also became increasingly diversified, with 8.574 million inbound arrivals. Visitor arrivals from Japan and South Korea each exceeded one million, while arrivals from Hong Kong and Macao combined also surpassed one million. Arrivals from Europe, the Americas, and the Philippines recorded particularly strong growth. Taiwan has transformed from a destination once reliant on a single source market into a diversified and resilient international tourism destination. Taiwan received numerous international recognitions during the year, ranking first worldwide for travel value, sixth in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, and 27th in the World Happiness Report. It also earned nine awards in the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards, further demonstrating the country's growing competitiveness and leadership in sustainable tourism.
To support the long-term sustainable development of Taiwan tourism, the Executive Yuan approved the Tourism 2030 Initiative in 2025. Key initiatives include establishing the Taiwan Tourism Research and Training Institute as a national tourism think tank, further strengthening the international tourism brand "TAIWAN – Waves of Wonder," and introducing two new destination brands—"Summit of the Tropic of Cancer" and "Smiling Southern Bay"—to showcase Taiwan's unique appeal to the world. These efforts are expected to strengthen the industry's foundations, enhance service quality, and advance Taiwan toward building an NT$1 trillion tourism industry.
Looking ahead, the Taiwan Tourism Administration will continue working closely with government agencies, industry partners, academic institutions, and tourism stakeholders to build a smarter, more welcoming, and more resilient tourism environment. We hope that travelers from around the world will continue to visit Taiwan time and again, and that this annual report will offer readers a deeper appreciation of the new value of Taiwan’s tourism development.
