Rising International Travel Costs Lead to 22% Increase in Travel Fair Discount Keyword Searches

Central News Agency

(Taipei, May 13, CNA reporter Yu Hsiao-han) Travel industry operators report that due to the impact of Middle East conflicts, aviation fuel surcharges have increased, raising the cost of international travel. However, this has also led to a surge in keyword searches for travel fair discounts, growing by 22% year-on-year in March.

The annual Taipei International Travel Fair (TTE) is scheduled to open on May 22 at the Taipei World Trade Center. This year, it will gather local governments, tourism bureaus, national scenic areas, and distinctive businesses from across Taiwan, featuring over 380 travel brands. It is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors.

The organizers note that international travel has gradually recovered in recent years, with consumers showing a significant increase in willingness to travel. Long-haul destinations in Europe and America, as well as short-haul trips to Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, continue to heat up. Facing fluctuating air ticket prices and rising travel costs, consumers are more inclined to compare prices and make concentrated purchases at travel fairs, making 'visiting a travel fair' an important starting point for planning annual travel.

Travel operator Klook issued a press release stating that Google search volumes show that keywords related to travel fair discounts increased by 22% year-on-year in March. This indicates that travelers' attention to promotional offers has heated up earlier, and they are looking forward to limited-time offers released at travel fairs.

Klook points out that this wave of travel fairs is expected to drive a new peak in purchasing momentum, with short-haul trips to Japan and Korea being the most popular, such as cities within a 2-hour flight like Busan, Okinawa, and Fukuoka, and growing interest in secondary and tertiary cities in Japan.

Klook states that long-haul travel to Europe and America is also beginning to recover, with planning mostly concentrated in the second half of the year. Travelers prefer products that allow changes or refunds, or one-day tours with Chinese-speaking guides, seeking greater flexibility and convenience for long journeys.

From May 15 to June 14, Klook is launching a month-long online travel fair, offering promotions like 'NT$1,000 off daily,' 'buy one get one free weekly,' 'up to NT$2,000 off for theme parks + hotels,' and 'eSIM for NT$10.'

Lion Travel has also launched an online travel fair, offering discounts and interactive gameplay. Lion Travel estimates that this year's online travel fair will continue the travel boom, with purchasing momentum expected to grow by about 10% compared to last year. This is primarily due to strong demand for family trips during the summer vacation, driving hot sales of 'Japan-Korea theme park' and 'Southeast Asia resort' itineraries.

Lion Travel notes that external factors such as rising airline ticket prices have led to a gradual emergence of a trend among travelers to plan long holidays earlier. This has caused 'Europe summer escape' and 'Australia-New Zealand New Year's Eve' long-haul super early bird products to unexpectedly surge. (Editor: Kuan Chung-wei) 1150513

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