Taiwan greets 4 millionth foreign visitor with 12,000 US dollars

Taipei - Taiwan on Saturday greeted its 4 millionth foreign visitor this year with a reward worth 12,000 US dollars and expressed confidence in attracting 4.5 million foreign visitors next year. Goto Suzuyo, 63, a retired Japanese woman, became the 4 millionth foreign visitor when she landed at the Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei.

She was speechless when Deputy Tourism Minister Hsieh Wei-chun greeted her with the news, as reporters' cameras clicked and a celebratory "lion dance" was performed to welcome her.

Hsieh presented Goto with a cash card worth 400,000 Taiwan dollars (12,000 US dollars), a gift package and a certificate from the Tourism Bureau.

Hsieh said the Tourism Bureau's original target for 2009 was 4.1 million foreign visitors.

"But we feel that it might reach 4.2 million, and we have set 4.5 million as the target for next year," he said.

Taiwan's visitors figures rose 11.65 per cent in the first 10 months this year, boosted by the influx of Chinese tourists, the Tourism Bureau said Monday.