Taiwan's largest international travel fair reported a slight increase in the total number of visitors over its four-day run, the organizers said Monday after the show ended. The Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF), now in its 24th year, drew 214,467 visits this year, up 1.76 percent from last year, the Taiwan Visitors Association said in a statement. Despite a recovering economy, this year's number was still lower than the 215,125 visits recorded in 2008 shortly after the financial crisis hit the world. The association suggested that the fair's crowded conditions -- with 1,200 booths operated by exhibitors from a record 60 countries -- may have reduced some people's interest in attending the show. But it also noted that despite big discounts, flight tickets sold at the fair were more expensive this year thanks to stronger demand. Taiwan's outbound tourist visits are expected to top 9 million for the first time this year, up from 8.14 million last year. Plane tickets to Japan, China and Thailand were the most popular at the fair, the association cited local travel agencies as saying. Japan's 94 booths outnumbered those of other nations. South Korea came in second with 32 booths, followed by Malaysia with 20 and Hong Kong with 14. The fair opened just days after direct flights were resumed after 31 years between Taipei International Airport (also known as Songshan Airport) and Tokyo International Airport (also known as Haneda Airport) on Oct. 31. The new route makes air travel between the two capital cities less time- consuming and is expected to boost inbound tourism from Japan, a major market for Taiwan's tourism industry. 