Long ago it gained prestige as a good area for touring. Taitung, known in the Ching dynasty as the "back mountains," suffers from limited accessibility, though it compares favorably to Hwalien in tourism potential. Nevertheless, a report made by National Chengchi University professor Tu Ta-hsien points out that it is the city most rarely visited by foreign travelers who come to Taiwan.
清代被稱為「後山」的台東，以往受限於交通，雖然觀光潛力不輸花蓮，但根據政治大學企管研究所教授司徒達賢去年做的一份報告指出，台東是來台觀光的外國遊客最罕至的城市。