Taiwan’s tourism deficit is expected to keep growing this year, though domestic travel remains steady with improved hotel occupancy in the second half of 2025, Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said on Thursday, October 30, during a legislative hearing. 

Chen told lawmakers that foreign arrivals from January to September exceeded 6.05 million, up 9% from last year. Japanese travelers topped one million a month earlier than in 2024, while visitors from China rose 62%. Visitors from the United States and Canada rose 10%, and those from the Philippines increased 35%.

Chen acknowledged that with more citizens traveling abroad than foreigners entering the country, Taiwan’s tourism deficit has continued to expand, and reached a gap of 8.05 million travelers by the end of September. She noted that while the imbalance may break previous records, outbound travel also contributes to national income and does not hinder domestic tourism, which outperformed last year’s figures in the first half.

Chen added that hotel occupancy improved in recent months despite Taiwan’s main domestic travel challenge of its convenient transport network, leading many to take same-day trips without overnight stays.