Taiwan's tourism authority has labeled this year "a year of sightseeing", but the negative growth in visitor's number during the first quarter has left them quite disappointed.

Statistics showed that during last January visitors' number registered at 212,800 person-time, 10.58 percent lower than the same period of the previous year; the figure for February was 221,000 person time, 14.98 percent lower; it is estimated that the figure for March would also be negative. Japan is an important visitor source of Taiwan's tourism, but this year the Japanese market dropped by more than 30 percent.

Related Taiwan department once made a plan to double the island's visitor number this year, but it has been shadowed by the gloomy situation of the first quarter.

By People's Daily Online