Taiwan's overseas visitor numbers on course for 20-year low

TAIPEI -- The number of visitor arrivals from outside Taiwan is estimated to be around 1.35 million this year, the lowest for the past two decades, the island's tourism department said Monday.

There were 1.29 million visitor arrivals in the first eight months of this year, down 83.84 percent year on year, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the department said in a report.

In 2019, Taiwan recorded around 11.86 million trips from outside.

Meanwhile, Taiwan residents made about 2.23 million trips out of the island in the first eight months, down 80.91 percent year on year.

Since many local residents were unable to travel overseas this year, they have turned to tourist attractions on the island and boosted local tourism. It estimated that local residents will make 210 million visits on the island this year, the highest number recorded in a decade.

Two people tested positive for COVID-19 in Taiwan Monday, bringing the total number to 529, according to the island's epidemic monitoring agency.

One of the new patients, both Taiwan residents, had returned from France and the other from the United Arab Emirates. They are believed to have contracted the virus outside the island.