TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan hopes to attract 6 million visitors this year, including 1 million from China and 200,000 from Thailand, reports said Friday (Feb. 3).

During 2019, the last full year before the pandemic, a record 11 million travelers from overseas visited Taiwan. The government had expected 750,000 visitors in 2022 following the October reopening, but the final tally exceeded this at 880,000, the Liberty Times reported.

The Tourism Bureau said the response from Thailand was particularly encouraging. At a ceremony Friday morning, the bureau handed a special award to the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), while also inviting them to visit the Lantern Festival in Taipei City and other new sights, per CNA.

Taiwan had expected 18,000 visitors from Thailand from October to December 2022, yet 50,830 arrived, according to a bureau news release. The leadership of the TTAA brought an 11-member delegation to spend five days in Taiwan, with their itinerary focusing on the northeast, including Yilan County.

Later this month, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau will attend the Thai International Travel Fair to intensify the country’s promotion with the Thai public, the statement said.