THIS year at ITB Berlin, Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) will be promoting the country as a friendly, safe and clean destination for visitors coming in from Europe and the Middle East. The promotions are set to emphasise the Asian tiger economy as the ‘Heart of Asia’.
David Hsieh, director general, ministry of transport and communications (MOTC), Republic of China (Taiwan), says: “Rated by CNN as 11 out of the top 50 must-see destinations, Taiwan offers its visitors a great array of things to see and do: high mountains, amazing natural scenic attractions, unique gourmet cuisine, diverse flora and fauna, aboriginal cultures, wedding photography, unique tea culture, and natural hot springs. We also have some of the friendliest people in the world, 24-hour bookstores and convenience shops, and bustling night markets.”
Last year at ITB Berlin, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau promoted Taiwan as the travelling destination with the slogan ‘Time for Taiwan’. The country’s tourism sector was promoted under six main themes: healthy and sustainable lifestyle, culture, ecology, romance, roads and shopping. Taiwan tourism also promoted its festivals – the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Pinxi Sky Lantern Festival and Gongliao Ho-Hai-YanRock Festival.
CYCLING TOURISM
European visitors will be targeted this year at ITB Berlin to promote Taiwan as the preferred cycling destination in Asia. Travellers can enjoy leisurely rides in the mountainous terrain of Taiwan around Sun Moon Lake. They can also test their cycling strength at the 105-kilometre long King of the Mountain Challenge.
Rated by CNNGo as one of the world’s top ten breath-taking cycling routes and ranking just after those of Europe’s Alps and Pyrenees mountain ranges, the tournament attracts international extreme cycling adventurers. The route starts at sea level at Qixingtan Lake, Hualien, before cyclists wind their way through the Toroko Gorge and end up at the Hehuanshan Wuling Mountain.
In addition, Taiwan Tourism Bureau has its eyes on attracting more visitors from the UAE and the Middle East markets. It has been trying to enhance the dining and accommodation experience of Muslim tourists visiting Taiwan.
Many top restaurants in Taiwan serve halal food and are operated by Muslim owners. The long-standing presence of seven mosques around the country, with the Grand Mosque located in Taipei city, enable Muslim tourists to break their journey at the mosques during prayer time.
ILHA FORMOSA
Taiwan was first known as Ilha Formosa, meaning beautiful island. To many, it is the island of technology but a visit to the countryside will afford views of 200 mountains that soar above 3,000 metres in height. Geographically, Taiwan is seated on one of the most powerful tectonic plates.
This explains why the country is dotted with irresistible landscapes, unmatched ecological diversity, thus making it ideal for ecotourism. In addition, as ecotourism has gained popularity, so has a thirst for exploring Taiwan’s 14 indigenous cultures that have their own sub-culture, language, traditions and festivals.
The year 2013 saw eight million tourists visiting Taiwan, a jump from the 5.5 million tourists visiting in 2010. Out of all the visitors who came to Taiwan in 2013, Japan led the way, followed by mainland China, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas. Apart from leisure travel, business travellers attending international conferences spent their spare time sightseeing during their visit to Taiwan.
Amongst the scenic spots in Taiwan, night markets ranked the highest at 78 per cent, followed by Taipei 101 (62 per cent), National Palace Museum (53 per cent), Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (39 per cent) and Sun Moon Lake (37 per cent).
With regards to the foreseeable trends happening this year, Hsieh believes that budget carriers such as Peach Air, Scoot Airlines, Jetstar and Tigerair will play an important role in attracting more visitors to Taiwan from neighbouring countries because they are affordable.
While 60 per cent of inbound visitors prefer group tours arranged through a travel agency, the travel behaviours of tourists to Taiwan are changing. There is a gradual emergence of backpackers and individual trips. Using the internet to make travel decisions, ranks only second to making decisions based on leaflets available at travel agencies.
“With Emirates airline recently starting direct flights from Dubai to Taipei five times a week, the journey is more straightforward for tourists from the Middle East and from Europe. We expect to see nine million inbound visitors in 2014,” Hseih concludes.
Link for the Growth in Inbound Tourism:
By Jan D’Sa