Taiwan a top 5 travel destination for 2015

2014-12-02

Taiwan was recently named one of the world’s top travel destinations for 2015 by U.K.-based travel search engine Skyscanner.

Praised for its breathtaking scenery, cultural heritage and gourmet food, Taiwan joins Brazil, Greece, Nicaragua and South Korea in the website’s top five recommendations for next year.

The capital city Taipei, the Skyscanner release continued, makes a welcome alternative to other Southeast Asian getaways packed with honeymooners and backpackers. The metropolis offers a rich diversity lacking elsewhere.

Affordable shopping and local cuisine such as beef noodles, exemplars of which can be found at night markets; outdoor activities like hot springs, hiking and rock climbing; and cultural immersion at the city’s old temples, National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and National Palace Museum make for a hard-to-beat experience.

Convenience stores also add to the city’s pleasure by being both ubiquitous and useful, capable of handling most of life’s little concerns, including dry cleaning and ticket booking, according to the website.

Taiwan’s appeal to global travelers has been increasingly recognized by international media in recent years. In March, guidebook maker Lonely Planet lauded Taiwan as a foodie mecca, highlighting the nation’s unique gastronomic culture.

The trend has been reflected in a booming tourism sector. In a recent U.N. World Tourism Organization report, Taiwan was said to have the world’s fastest growing international tourism industry among the top 50 destination countries, trumping its Asian neighbors in a region of massive growth.

According to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Taiwan saw 8.1 million international visitors in the first 10 months of 2014, a record. The figure is projected to top 9.5 million by year’s end.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=224694&CtNode=413)