Chinese tourists may still maintain the top list in the current tourist statistics shown by the Palau Visitors Authority (PVA) but June statistics this year showed it had dropped down to 48% which is comprised of 3,907 Chinese tourists from 52% in the same month last year which is equivalent to 5,245.
But if compared to the May 2018 statistics, the 48% Chinese tourist share for June this year had climbed up to 5%.
Taiwan and South Korea came in second with each country’s nationals comprising the 13% tourists share in Palau.
Japanese tourists, meanwhile, placed third with 12% market share which is equivalent to 958 Japanese tourists, a decline of 4% from last month.
Tourists from the United States/Canada composed the 9% tourists in June which is equivalent to 761.
According to the PVA’s data, the choices of carriers for the People’s Republic of China are Air Explorer and Lan Mei.
Two airlines had already announced suspension of Palau flights this year with Delta Airlines, which catered to Japan-Palau flights, already stopping its operations in Palau on May 6.
Just recently, The Sea Passion Group, the company that operates the Palau Pacific Airways and Sea Passion Hotel in Palau, had also announced its plans to “indefinitely” suspend its Palau flights as the company struggles with its competitions and the drastic drop of Chinese tourists visiting the country.(Rhealyn C. Pojas)