Tourism Bureau targets Muslim travel market

2015/05/26

The ROC government is leaving no stone unturned in transforming Taiwan into a Muslim-friendly travel destination, according to the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications May 22.

As part of these efforts, an additional 24 travel-related businesses and facilities were recently awarded Halal certification at a ceremony in Taipei City. This brings the number to 70 nationwide, including National Palace Museum and Taipei 101, as well as hotels and restaurants in tourism hot spots like Alishan and Sun Moon Lake.

Bureau Director-General David Hsieh said Taiwan welcomed around 180,000 visitors from Muslim-majority countries in 2014, up 12.5 percent from a year ago. “Given that the Muslims comprise nearly a quarter of the global population, there is still plenty of room for Taiwan to tap into this segment of the global market.”

According to Hsieh, all of Taiwan’s 13 national scenic areas under its administration are now equipped with Muslim-friendly facilities. “Of note, a Muslim prayer room opened in January at the Taipei Main Station, the first in a domestic public transportation hub,” he said.

In addition, Hsieh said a delegation representing nine Malaysian travel agencies visited Taiwan earlier this month to get up to speed with the country’s Muslim friendly tourism facilities in Taipei and Yilan County.

Industry analysts described the government’s policy as paying handsome dividends and the main reason for the naming of Taiwan this year by Global Muslim Travel Index as the 10th best destination for Muslim travelers outside Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states.

“We are continuing to work with all related parties to develop more Muslim-friendly services and talent training,” Hsieh said, adding that he expects to see an increase of 10 percent in the number of Muslim visitors to Taiwan this year.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=230724&ctNode=413)