Global tourism campaign spotlights Taiwan

2015/10/12

A global promotional campaign featuring three shorts showing Taiwan’s rich tourism resources was launched Oct. 6 by Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

The films focus on cycling and the smorgasbord of leisure options available for cruise line port call and transit visitors. They follow foreigners undertaking an array of enjoyable experiences around the country, and are all available on the bureau’s YouTube channel.

Bureau Deputy Director-General Wayne Liu said the shorts continue the Bravo Taiwan theme from last year’s productions and concentrate on highlighting Taiwan’s central location in the Asia-Pacific and diverse cultural landscape.

“We expect the films to convince more tourists to sample our distinctive brand of hospitality and lifestyle,” Liu said, adding that they will publicize the country’s competitive advantages abroad and take the local tourism industry to the next level.

According to Liu, the cycling short features a foreign rider pedaling through the city streets, rural locales and natural surrounds of Taiwan. “The popularity of cycling tours is on the rise and has capitalized on the strength of Taiwan’s thriving bicycle industry. Bikers can also take a round-island spin on the newly completed nationwide cycle path network,” he said.

“Given the success of our annual Taiwan Cycling Festival, which has rapidly developed into one of the largest domestic events alongside Lunar New Year’s Taiwan Lantern Festival, we have every reason to believe the appeal of cycling will hit new heights going forward.”

Another concentration area for the bureau is the cruise ship tourism market, Liu said. “The ports of Hualien, Kaohsiung and Keelung are three of the most popular destinations worldwide for 2014 as assessed in a recent survey by U.K.-based trade magazine Cruise Insight.”

Transit passengers can also tap into the Taiwan lifestyle and enjoy unique cultural, entertainment, food and shopping experiences, according to Liu. “Fine dining and a 24/7 reading scene are on the menu for any visitors staying overnight.”

The films are just one of many initiatives aimed at heightening Taiwan’s profile in the international traveler market. These include a commercial launched in September starring Japan’s biggest star Takuya Kimura and directed by internationally acclaimed film-maker John Woo.

In addition, the bureau is working to revise visa application regulations for visitors from India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Scheduled for implementation in November, the simplified measure is projected to bring in an extra 150,000 high-end tourists from the five countries per year.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=237559&ctNode=2194&mp=9)