Link: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2026/07/27/2003861433

Unable to solve the enduring mystery of why Taiwan does not attract tourists in the desired numbers (despite the collective screams of all of us knowledgeable long-term foreigners watching the government flail uselessly at the problem), policymakers have decided to establish a Taiwan Tourism Institu

Jesus, man. What a cynical take. Wish I could find more to disagree with, though. 😀 Taiwan's natural resources are absolutely stunning, but we haven't had anything like the investment in hospitality infrastructure that could support visitors in numbers comparable to Vietnam or Thailand.

Honestly, the world are poor right now. They are not coming to visit since the war Trump created has effected every country.

I was thinking of taking a ferry from mainland China to Taiwan, then another to Japan. Is there anything specificly you'd recommend? I've never been to Taiwan.

Yeah, I don't doubt that is depressing current tourism numbers, but this is more about Taiwan's relative under-performance to nearby destinations over the past several decades.

If I'm not mistaken, the ferries from China only run to Kinmen Island, which I've never been to. I think if you want to get to Taiwan proper, you'd have to fly from there. There is a whole lot to see in Taiwan. I've been coming here for 25 years and lived here for 2 and I still haven't gotten to everything I want to. If you have a short time, there's not much need to stray too far from Taipei. You can catch a train or a bus to lots of great places in new Taipei City like Xifen and Pingxi. If you like the beach, Tamsui is worth a visit. Yangming Mountain is also very scenic and accessible from downtown Taipei.

Compared to what? Japan? Thh Yen is sooooo low. It's basically a discount to go there. Same for nearby countries.

Yeah, cost is one of the issues they discuss. Taiwan is generally pretty affordable, especially for food. But compared to Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and maybe South Korea, the motels aren't really such a great value. I've stayed in some nice ones in Taiwan, but they can be pricey. I've also stayed in a lot of cheap fleabags. 😁
Another issue they talk about is labor shortages in hospitality. I believe that is also a problem in Japan. The solution is so easy: just let more migrant labor come in to work the hospitality jobs, but both Taiwan and Japan seem a little hesitant to do that.
It also talks a bit about medical tourism, and how Taiwan doesn't open their medical system up to this possibility. Although if you need medical attention here, it's pretty affordable even without the state insurance.