Mainland Chinese visitors sidestep Hong Kong in favour of Taiwan

KUALA LUMPUR: Taiwan has seen a flurry of tourists from mainland China, giving an adequate boost to the island’s flourishing tourism sector, under the guise of the street protests in Hong Kong.

The week-long National Day break saw the number of mainlanders flocking to the island increased to a staggering 70 per cent bringing the total of 75,000.

Hong Kong, inundated by the Occupy Central protests managed only a 6.8 per cent growth in number from across the border, a spike from the 14.5 per cent rise in 2013, as shown in immigration figures.

Almost 95 per cent of available seats on Taiwan-bound flights were filled on the first day of the holiday week the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) reported that international travel agencies’ popularity have turned into instant stars among tourists!

Over 1,200 extra flights on Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan routes were added during the break season and 13.2 million seats for domestic destinations allocated. PHOTO GALLERY: THIS ISN'T HONG KONG AS YOU KNOW IT

China Southern Airlines carried a whopping 1.65 million passengers on 11,000 flights during the holiday week increasing capacity on international routes by over 20 per cent.

The CAAC reported that eight million passengers flew on 79,000 flights that week. Last year, 7.7 million people boarded 76,000 flights.

Taiwan is fast gaining its popularity among mainland tourists as direct flights across the strait started only in late 2008 and individual travel systems – allowing mainland residents of select cities to visit sans tour groups – lengthy visa requirements notwithstanding – were implemented in 2011.

An approximate 1.04 million visitors to Hong Kong and Macau were recorded and Hong Kong lost out in attracting mainland tourists as the Occupy demonstrations rolled out merely a week before the National Day break. PHOTO GALLERY: HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS END IN CHAOS

Macau saw 17.1 per cent more mainland visitors compared with the National Day break last year.

During the week-long protests, student leaders demanded the right to nominate who can run as their next leader in 2017 elections. Beijing, however insists only candidates it has approved will be able to stand.