According to the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the number of tourists visiting Taiwan is expected to reach a record 5.4 million this year, which represents an increase of one million from last year.

The bureau added that tourists from mainland China are expected to account for one third of the total.

Janice Lai, the head of the Tourism Bureau, said that more than 4.5 million tourists had visited the island by the end of October, 27.5% more than in the same period of the previous year.

She attributed the strong growth to the global economic recovery, the opening to the mainland tourists, and enhanced advertising.

The mainland is the island's top tourist source country, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Next year, the bureau will launch a new series of tourism activities and 100 new tourism routes, with related services. It expects the number of tourists traveling to Taiwan will rise to six million in 2011.