Taiwan received a daily average of 3,470 tourists from the Chinese mainland during the National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, dropping by around two-thirds compared with previous years, according to data from the island's immigration authority.
The weeklong National Day holiday had been a peak season for Taiwan's tourism industry for years, with average mainland tourist numbers reaching up to nearly 15,000 daily. This year's number is believed to hit an 11-year record low.
Chinese mainland tourists to Taiwan have witnessed a marked drop since August. In September, the island received around 40,000 tourists from the Chinese mainland, a record monthly low since December of 2009.
Taiwan has offered subsidies for local travelers to boost tourism, but statistics from the island's tourism authority show that, in 2018, Chinese mainland tourists stayed for an average of 7.3 days in Taiwan, spending around 211.68 U.S. dollars per person each day, while a local tourist's expenditure averaged at around 72.99 U.S. dollars per trip.
