Cheese Report Feb 2026

Outbound Departures of Nationals of the Republic of China by Destination, December & January-December, 2025

1. Japan Captures ¥9.5 Trillion in Tourism Revenue in 2025! Taiwan Ranks Second, with China Leading at 21%

2025 marked an explosive year for Japan’s tourism industry. Total tourism spending reached a staggering ¥9.5 trillion, as the annual number of international visitors surged to approximately 42.7 million. This marks the first time the 40-million-visitor threshold has been crossed, representing a growth of over 10% compared to 2024.

When breaking down spending by nationality, Chinese travelers claimed the top spot in 2025, spending approximately ¥2 trillion and accounting for 21% of the total. Taiwan secured a solid second place with approximately ¥1.21 trillion in spending, significantly outpacing both the United States and South Korea. These figures highlight that Taiwan is a key pillar of Japan’s tourism economy, driven not only by steady visitor numbers but also by strong purchasing power.

2. AirAsia Reportedly to Order 100 Airbus A220s to Capture Southeast Asian Travel Recovery

According to Bloomberg, Southeast Asian low-cost carrier giant AirAsia is planning a major fleet expansion. Sources indicate that the company is nearing a deal to purchase approximately 100 Airbus A220 regional jets. This move underscores AirAsia’s confidence in the recovery of the Southeast Asian regional travel market and its determination to aggressively expand its operational footprint.

The A220 is renowned for its fuel efficiency and a range perfectly suited for regional routes, aligning with the needs of low-cost carriers to control operating costs while maintaining flexible scheduling. If confirmed, this order will significantly bolster AirAsia’s capacity advantage in the highly competitive Southeast Asian aviation market and support its future route expansion plans.

3. 3. Q2 “Reasonable Tour Fares” Announced: Japan Routes Down 10%, Oceania Becomes More Affordable

The Travel Quality Assurance Association (TQAA) announced today (4th) the reasonable reference prices for group tours across various routes from April to June. Benefiting from increased flight capacity and favorable exchange rates, fares for Japan and South Korea –top favorites for Taiwanese travelers –have been reduced by over 10%. Prices for Australia and New Zealand also saw a 3% to 5% decrease, while some specific packages dropped by as much as 10% to 15%. Conversely, fares for long-haul routes to the Americas, Canada, Europe, and Africa have seen price hikes.

The TQAA noted that the outbound travel market continues to recover in the second quarter. For Japan routes, an ample supply of flight seats has led to an overall price reduction of approximately 10% compared to the same period last year. Specifically, fares for Hokkaido and the Tohoku region have decreased compared to the previous quarter, while other regions saw slight increases of roughly NT$1,000 to NT$2,000. Taking a 5-to-7-day itinerary as an example, the reasonable price range for a Japan group tour falls between NT$32,000 and NT$47,000, depending on the destination and travel area.

4. Thailand’s Tourism Hits a Slump: Chinese Visitors Drop 30% in 2025

Thailand’s vital tourism industry is facing a significant downturn. Impacted by concerns over telecom scams and regional tensions with Cambodia, the number of international arrivals decreased in 2025 –the first decline in three years. Major enterprises, including the state-owned Airports of Thailand (AOT), have reported a drop in profits. With Chinese tourist numbers plummeting by 30%, Thailand is moving quickly to implement countermeasures, such as reallocating flight capacity from China to other markets like India.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, international arrivals in 2025 fell by 7.2% year-on-year to 32.97 million. This marks the first year-on-year decline since the 2021 pandemic outbreak and represents a nearly 20% decrease compared to the industry’s peak in 2019.

5. U.S. and Canada Overtaken! Europe Named 2025’s Most Popular Travel Destination, Surpassing Pre-Pandemic Levels with 793 Million Visitors

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stated today that despite a decline in tourist arrivals to North America, global tourism reached a record high of 1.52 billion arrivals in 2025. This represents a 4% growth over 2024, with Europe emerging as the world’s most popular travel destination.

By region, Europe remained the top choice for travelers, hosting 793 million international tourists in 2025 –a 4% increase from 2024 and 6% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Africa saw 81 million arrivals, an 8% increase, with North African countries like Morocco and Tunisia showing particularly strong performance. Meanwhile, international arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region grew by 6% to 331 million, recovering to approximately 91% of pre-pandemic levels.

● Paid Subscriptions for Instagram? Three New Features Spark Privacy Concerns Among Users

Meta has recently begun revealing details regarding upcoming subscription-based content for Instagram. According to foreign media reports, Instagram’s paid tier may include three primary features: the ability to create unlimited audience lists, a way to identify accounts you follow that do not follow you back, and “Anonymous Story Viewing,” which allows users to view others’ Stories without appearing in the viewer list or leaving a digital footprint. These leaked features have sparked intense online debate, with some users joking that the platform is essentially “monetizing stalking behavior.”

While Meta has yet to provide specific details on paid features for WhatsApp and Facebook, the company confirmed that testing is underway and that they will continue to adjust their direction based on user feedback. Following the news, many users have expressed a mix of anticipation and skepticism. Many argue that if they are required to pay, the subscription should essentially include ad removal and a guarantee that personal data will no longer be sold. Whether Meta will further adjust its privacy and advertising policies remains to be seen.

Source: FTV News
IG要收費了？3功能「將推訂閱制」網看驚：拿我的隱私賺錢？

● Google Chrome Integrates Gemini Sidebar! “Auto Browse” Becomes the Ultimate Time-Saver for Forms, Shopping, and Bookings

This feature is currently available exclusively to paid AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the United States. Positioned as a tool to handle repetitive and tedious “digital chores” –ranging from filling out forms to completing everyday online shopping –it aims to transform the browser from a mere information gateway into a proactive AI assistant that actually “gets things done” for the user.

In the new interface, Gemini is no longer just a small dialogue box tucked away in the upper-right corner of Chrome. Instead, it appears as a large side panel occupying about a quarter of the screen’s width. Users can manually add tabs they want the AI to assist with to this panel, which grants Gemini permission to read the page content and perform actions directly on those sites.

Source:
Google Chrome導入Gemini側邊欄！Auto Browse成懶人救星，填表、購物、訂房⋯都能搞定|數位時代 BusinessNext

● 60 Must-Know Pinterest Statistics for 2026

Pinterest ads deliver a 32% higher Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) compared to other digital platforms (Source: Sprout Social).
The average Cost-Per-Click (CPC) ranges from $0.10 to $1.50, while the average Cost-Per-Conversion is between $0 and $2 (Source: Sprout Social).
Approximately 26% of businesses achieve a Pinterest CPC of under $0.10 (Source: Sprout Social).
Pinterest ads generate 11.4 times more new leads than other social media platforms (Source: Wizishop).
Ads that trigger a positive emotional response see a 20% increase in brand recall and a 6x higher intent to take action (Source: Wizishop).

Source: thunderbit
2026 年你必須知道的 60 個 Pinterest 數據

● Advertisers Rejoice! Threads to Officially Roll Out Ads Globally Next Week

Ads are officially coming to Threads users worldwide! Starting next week, advertisements will begin a gradual rollout to all Threads users across the globe. This marks the next phase for the platform, following the opening of ad placements to “all advertisers” last spring and initial testing in select markets.

In addition to existing ad formats, Threads has introduced third-party brand safety and suitability verification. It now utilizes the same Meta Business Partners system as the Facebook and Instagram Feeds and Reels, allowing brands to have clearer oversight and control over where their advertisements appear.

Soure:
廣告商狂喜！Threads 下週正式開放全球用戶看到廣告

● Our Approach to Advertising and Expanding Access to ChatGPT

While we have not yet officially launched advertising, we plan to begin testing in the coming weeks for logged-in adult users in the United States on both the ChatGPT Free and ChatGPT Go plans. Initially, we will test ads at the bottom of ChatGPT responses, which will only appear when a relevant sponsored product or service is identified based on your current conversation. All advertisements will be clearly labeled and distinctly separated from organic responses. You will be able to see why a specific ad is being shown, and you will have the option to close any ad and provide feedback. During this testing phase, ads will not be displayed to accounts where the user has self-identified or where we have determined the user is under the age of 18. Furthermore, ads will not be shown in conversations involving sensitive or regulated topics, such as physical or mental health and politics.

Source: OpenAI
我們的廣告做法，以及如何推動 ChatGPT 普及使用 | OpenAI