Japan continued to be a major source of tourists for Taiwan, with the number of Japanese visitors who came to Taiwan last year totalling 1.16 million, accounting for 31.39 percent of the total, tourism officials told a news conference.

However, Japanese tourists numbers grew by only 0.42 percent, less than in previous years, tourism officials said, attributing the slower growth to Japan's economic slump, the depreciation of the Japanese yen, and higher passenger fuel surcharges.

But they added that the growth, though modest, was still good compared with the negative growth of Japanese visitors to South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand.

Visitor numbers from other countries, meanwhile, increased at a much higher rate compared to the previous year, according to tourism bureau figures.

The number of visitors from Malaysia grew the most at 22.66 percent, followed by visitors from New Zealand and Australia at 18.96 percent, and South Korea at 15.06 percent.

Among the 3.71 million visitors to Taiwan last year, 1.64 million came for pleasure, up 9.16 percent from the previous year and accounting for 44.36 percent of the total, a percentage which set a record high compared to recent years, officials said.

Those who came for business totaled 930,775 in 2007, or a negative growth of 2.01 percent, they said.

December saw the fastest growth in visitors, at 12.34 percent, setting a single month growth record. Of December's visitors, 53.45 percent came for pleasure.

Officials added that this was an encouraging indication that their campaign to promote the nation as an international travel destination was working.

The Tourism Bureau said under their recently launched plan to promote Taiwan as a tourism destination in 2008-2009, which is coupled with a series of incentive measures, they expect the number of visitors to Taiwan, excluding Chinese tourists, will reach the bureau's target of 4 million in 2008.