Central Visayas sees spurt in Taiwanese tourists

CEBU CITY – While Taiwan only ranked sixth among Central Visayas’ top sources of foreign tourists for the first four months this year, it registered the highest growth rate in the region’s tourist traffic.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that from January to April, there were at least 21,631 tourist arrivals from Taiwan, up from 10,264 for the same period last year, or an increase of 110.75 percent.

Taiwan ranked behind Australia, the US China, Japan and South Korea.

Taiwan had recalibrated its relations with countries in the South Asia and Southeast Asia through its New Southbound Policy (NSP), in which it sees countries in the those regions as “potential strategic partners for regional social and economic cooperation.”

The policy includes studentexchange programs, resource sharing, talent cultivation and people-to-people contacts.

China followed Taiwan in the increase in the number of tourists at 77.86 percent.

The number of Chinese tourists rose last year after the lifting of an October travel advisory for the Philippines by Beijing and the increased number of direct routes between Cebu and China as the two countries renewed its economic relationship. (Kier Edison C. Belleza)