The number of Mainland Chinese tourists coming to Taiwan in August dropped to about half of the number who came in January. That’s according to the latest statistics from the National Immigration Agency.
Only 170,000 Mainland Chinese tourists came to Taiwan in August, while 320,000 came in January.
The drop is largely due to a steep decline in the number of tour groups coming from China. That went from over 260,000 in January to just over 62,000 in August. A notable drop-off was seen in May, when President Tsai Ing-wen took office. Her administration is seen as being more guarded in ties with China.
There was another dip in arrivals in July, when a Taiwanese tour bus caught fire, killing 24 Chinese tourists.
The number of Mainland Chinese tourists traveling independent of tour groups has also dropped off slightly.
People who work in Taiwan’s tourism industry are set to stage a protest in front of the Presidential Office building on September 12. They will be speaking out against the government’s failure to take proactive steps to boost tourist arrivals from China.