A recent drop in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan will have only a limited impact on the economy. That’s according to the latest analysis by the government’s statistics office.
Figures from the Tourism Bureau show that the number of Chinese tourists continued to grow through October and November. However, this growth fell below normal levels. In December, during the run up to Taiwan’s presidential election, the number of Chinese tourists saw negative growth of 5.7%.
On Wednesday, statistics office official Huang Wei-chieh, said that while a drop in tourist arrivals will affect the economy, tourism accounts for only 4% of Taiwan’s GDP.
The Tourism Bureau is working to tap into new tourism markets, including South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the countries of the Islamic World in order to lessen dependence tourism from any one country.
The Chinese government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, meanwhile, says that the drop in tourism to Taiwan is a reflection of the market. During a press conference on Wednesday, office spokesperson An Fengshan said that the decision of whether to visit Taiwan is up to tourists themselves.