Regional Tourism
Promoting Tourism Circles and Industry Alliances
The Tourism Bureau selected seven of its national scenic area administrations - Northeast Coast, Tri-Mountain, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan, Siraya, and Dapeng Bay – to serve as platforms for the integration of local organizations and industry partners into 10 regional tourism industry alliances founded on the concept of tourism belts. Theme branded tourism products were determined and then implemented in three directions: scenic area preparation, domestic tourism, and international marketing. Private sector resources were integrated to study and propose a pragmatic, progressive rolling, and market-driven implementation plan to invigorate local industry, attract visitors, and achieve sustainable regional tourism development.
The Jimuling T-shirt Art Festivals in Rice Terraces invited visitors to experience a historical and cultural century-old landscape.
Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area
Several tourism circle promotion plans have been successively implemented since the establishment of the Greater Northeast Coast Tourism Circle. They include the following: 1) establishment of the Greater Northeast Coast Tourism Circle Advisory Group and Youth Team to deeply cultivate business and industry partnerships; 2) inventorying of food, lodging, tour, shopping, and travel resources in the Greater Northeast Coast Tourism Circle and integration of these resources by travel agencies into 145 locally-distinctive two-day tour packages with international marketing appeal and marketed under the five seasonal themes of whale watching, firefly viewing, tung blossoms, and railway travel; 3) production of promotional videos under the theme of "Life Style," including "Spring Warmth," "Coastal Hillside Towns: A New Way of Life," "Villages of the Plains: Heritage and Succession," "Colorful Highway 2: Mountain and Coastal Indulgence" to promote the ambiance of local life in the Greater Northeast Coast Tourism Circle; and 4) development of unique travel themes for the townships in the Greater Northeast Coast area to discover potential industries and create tourism experience spotlights. To date, the tourism circles have given shape to 45 businesses, including 16 in New Taipei City and 29 in Yilan County.
Taichung-Changhua Afternoon Tea Life Festival workshop
Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area
The Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Administration continued to promote the brand image of Taichung and Changhua as a destination for urban and rural food travel. Various ministries, local governments, and tourism associations jointly held 10 promotional activities, including 1) the Wu Feng Touring Tour Bus, 2) promotion of tourism activities in Taichung and Changhua related to Explorer Dream cruise ship docking at Taichung Harbor, 3) the Taichung-Changhua Afternoon Tea Life Festival, 4) the Easy Travel mobile app, and 5) Fun in Taichung-Changhua–Small Town Travel Fair. Over 100 businesses jointly planned 37 high-quality tours, generating tourism revenue of NT$61.49 million. In addition, guidance was provided to various industries in the Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, and the Miaoli Tourism Circle under the "Hsinchu and Miaoli Hospitality" brand, including guidance on member proposals, arrangement of writing workshops, guidance on industry adoption of design elements, and guidance to communities in developing highlights. A total of 122 workshop sessions were arranged and guidance was provided to 123 businesses. A large-scale matchmaking event was also arranged, attracting 22 industry exhibitors from the Hsinchu and Miaoli areas, 58 travel agencies, and over 170 participants. A total of 37 high-quality tours were planned, generating tourism revenue of NT$27.12 million.
The "Alishan EASY GO" Mid-autumn Festival limited edition gift box
Alishan National Scenic Area
The Alishan National Scenic Area Administration continued to implement promotional plans for the Great Alishan Tourism Circle, 235 Regional Tourism Circle, and Greater Caoling Tourism Circle in 2021. Through industry guidance on in-depth local tourism and joint marketing and promotion, the shopping areas, unique industries, rich cultural heritage, and natural ecology of various areas were integrated to create in-depth experiential travel itineraries and highlight creative activities under the six themes of tea, coffee, railways, indigenous communities, ecology, and romance. This included the Beautiful Chiayi marketing and promotion campaign, bicycle touring in Chiayi City, promotion of classic tours along Provincial Highway 18, development of 235 coffee tours, and other marketing activities highlighting local features to invigorate tourism highlights and upgrade visibility in the three tourism circles. In 2021, guidance was provided to about 600 food, lodging, tour, shopping, and travel businesses in the tourism circles. The three tourism circles added 109 tour itineraries and sold about 89,000 package tours attracting about 110,000 people and generating NT$260 million in tourism revenue.
Sun Moon Lake Tourism Circles: Tourism circles across scenic areas and administrative areas came together to jointly hold the Ershui Water Marathon
Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area
Guidance was provided to steadily develop tourism circles in four distinctive areas based on the strengths of each tourism circle and local living sphere and in consideration of balanced regional development, including Zhongxing Cultural and Creative, Heart of Taiwan Area, Jiji Branch Line, and Taiji Splendor Land. In 2021, designs of the CIS identification specifications for tourism circles were completed and guidance was provided to the four distinctive areas in brand design. Moreover, 15 townships and cities selected tourism highlights for integration into eight competitive travel themes. Nine FAM tours, matchmaking events, and symposiums were arranged to develop "Sun and Moon Stars" branded theme tours jointly marketed by 21 travel agencies, as well as four affiliated high-quality group tour products. In addition, the tourism circles held four symposiums and two international promotion meetings. Guidance was provided to eight associations on proposals for implementation plans to seek Tourism Bureau subsidies. Under the plan, 21 different travel experiences and 33 tours and festivals were arranged and integrated with the administration's New Year's Eve and New Year's Day sunrise, cherry blossom, and firefly watching activities, bicycle tours, and other theme activities. These events attracted 69,742 visitors and generated NT$160 million in tourism revenue.
A savory snack pop-up market at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Southwest Coast National Scenic Area
Ongoing promotion and implementation in 2021 included 1) the Southwest Coast Tourism Circle Establishment and Marketing Plan; 2) Southwest Coast Tourism Circle Skill Training and Business Development Policy Implementation Plan; 3) the 2021 Southwest Coast Tourism Circle Product Platform Establishment, Marketing, and Promotion Plan and 4) the Landscape Art and Food Industry In-depth Tourism Guidance Plan. Travel agencies were invited on FAM tours of six itineraries in the Southwest Coast Tourism Circle, attracting 150 participating agencies. Three travel industry matchmaking exchange meetings were held, joined by nearly 80 tourism circle businesses and 220 travel agencies. Two online workshops attracted 115 participants; a large-scale international seminar was joined by 30 tourism circles businesses and 50 companies in the travel agency, OTA, and MICE industries; four on-site village workshops were held; the "Savory Southwest" brand was established; a contest was held to select 21 high-quality tourism circle products; and ten companies received guidance on improving product packaging and sales processes. Two online joint courses, one large-scale international seminar, and a resident lecturer sharing session were also arranged. A savory snack pop-up market was held in Huashan, joined by 17 tourism circle businesses and over a thousand visitors. The same day, a press conference was held to highlight brand achievements, Japan's Sendai-Matsushima DMO signed a memorandum of cooperation with H.I.S. Taiwan on the formation of sister tourism circle ties, and the "Salt Worker Bento" and "Savory Southwest" brands were released.
The Pingtung Tourism Circle presented its online achievements, attracting more than 1,000 online participants on the first day.
Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area
The Pingtung Tourism Circle held its inaugural meeting on December 10, 2020. The group aims to promote smart tourism and digital transformation, as well as incorporate a blockchain business model to establish Industry Synergy Tourism Circles. The tourism circle has completed a resource inventory; held four digital marketing matchmaking events, three media Fam visits, six online international promotions, 12 master's lectures, 13 guidance sessions at demonstration stores; provided guidance on digital transition to 60 businesses; and added OTA sales for 100 tourism products. It has also signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with various OTAs; arranged three cross-district benchmark learning sessions; and incorporated blockchains in business models to advance industry integration, marketing, guidance and other measures. These initiatives have produced improvements in tourism service and facility quality and style. Tourism revenue in the transportation, accommodation, restaurant, and experience sectors totaled more than NT$16.61 million.
Tourism experience activities: Little Barista Summer Camp
Siraya National Scenic Area
Since its establishment on January 25, 2021, the Greater Siraya Tourism Circle Alliance has implemented a number of guidance programs. It has held one theme lecture, four training courses, and eight workshops, attracting 339 participants. Through the workshops, the group has helped local industries to upgrade operations. It has also provided guidance on customizing industrial styles for 13 businesses; upgraded theme benchmark products for six businesses, and established online information portals for 17 tourism circle businesses. The group arranged counseling programs to promote sustainable local industry operations and establish tourism circle theme brand goods. In addition, the group integrated food, lodging, touring, shopping, and travel businesses in the tourism circle for travel agencies to create 38 new theme tours that attracted 3,454 sales. Celebrity Anthony Kwok and Turkish internet celebrity Tolga were featured in the "Greater Siraya: Good Fun!" promotional video and the "Greater Siraya Fun Travel Guide." Apart from tours, the tourism circle organized a Facebook marketing sweepstakes, NT$500 coupons, tour planning, and sweepstakes-linked FUN checkpoints in the tourism circle. These events attracted 11,513 visitors to the tourism circles and generated NT$16.32 million in tourism revenue.
