Border Reopening – Attracting Inbound Visitors
The CECC announced on September 29, 2022, that Taiwan would lift border controls on October 13, 2022. The first group of inbound travelers boarded a flight to Taiwan on the evening of October 12, 2022, and arrived in Taiwan at 00:10 on October 13, 2022.This was the first group of international tourists to visit Taiwan after a gap of two and a half years. On the same day, 175 travelers from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam also visited Taiwan.
The Tourism Bureau invited 27 international media insiders and 43 travel industry professionals to visit Taiwan on the first day of the border reopening to see the country's newest tourist attractions and expedite the packaging and promotion of post-pandemic Taiwan travel products. The bureau's Tokyo and Osaka offices arranged a "Taiwan Travel Reopening Street Promotion: Xday Tourism Reopening Flash Mob" event in five Japanese cities, including Tokyo (Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Shimbashi, Yurakucho, and Tokyo Station), Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sendai. These events promoted the theme, "Taiwan: Your First Choice for Safe Travels" among international tourists.
On the same day, the Tourism Bureau held two seed teacher sessions on "Guidelines for Travel Agencies on Inbound and Outbound Group Travel Reception Operations." The program helped travel industry managers to familiarize with the content of the guidelines for staff and tour guide training, as well as strengthen their ability to adapt to group travel after the border reopening, in keeping with the CECC's pandemic prevention measures.
Enhancing Promotions by Overseas Offices after Border Reopening
October
- Held the Taiwan Fair in partnership with Japan's Natural Lawson convenience stores and Jin Din Rou and the Taiwan Fine Tea Seminar with the Taiwan Trade Center, Osaka
- Promoted railway travel in Taiwan through pre-movie ad spots on 45 screenings during the London East Asia Film Festival to attract visitors to Taiwan.
- Partnered with over 100 Te Amo tea shops in Vietnam to promote the reopening of Taiwan to inbound tourism.
- Promoted railway and cycling tourism in Taiwan through a campaign involving ads on 200 billboard trucks in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Johor Bahru. The ads featured cycling themes with OhBear Team Leader and came in three unique designs: "Cycling at Sun Moon Lake, Nantou," "Cherry Blossom Train in Alishan, Chiayi," and "Sea of Hydrangea Blooms in Yangmingshan, Taipei."
November
- Held the "Taiwan Night Market" activity in Nagoya and launched the "Taiwan Support Delegate" Instagram submission campaign.
- The "Taiwan Food Truck" tour with stops in Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Seoul to introduce South Koreans to the authentic flavors of Taiwan Miner's Lunchbox meals and bubble tea. Taiwan's tourism ambassador in Korea Kim Jae-woo and his wife joined OhBear at Seoul Station for interactive activities with both online and in-person audiences. The event generated significant buzz, with over 500 social media posts during the campaign.
- The Hello Weekend Market－Taiwan Week activity in Vietnam
- A special exhibition on "Taiwan Hot Spring Cuisine Travel" was held at Shin Kong Place Department Store in Chongqing.
- An immersive experience activity on Traditional Houses in Taiwan was held in Toronto.
- The Xiamen branch of Taiwanese restaurant chain Shin Yeh and Paragon Center in Xiamen jointly held "Taiwan Food Week."
December
- Ayda Jebat, the post-pandemic spokesperson for Taiwan tourism in Muslim markets, came to Taiwan for a 12-day promotional video shoot for Taiwan tourism. The popular Malaysian actress and singer has enormous appeal in the Muslim community, with more than 5.4 million followers on Instagram and over 30 million views of her song "Temberang" on her official YouTube channel. Ayda's promotions have made Taiwan a first-choice post-pandemic destination for Muslim visitors.
- Hosted the "Taiwan Hot Springs Paradise Tourism Theme Promotion" in Penang, Perak, and Kuala Lumpur. More than 120 Malaysian travel industry participants learned about Taiwan's latest tourism products at the event.
- Held two "Taiwan Rail-Bike Travel Theme Sharing Seminar" in Johor and Penang, Malaysia.
- Arranged the "Panahon sa Taiwan with Gabbi Garcia'' promotional activity in the Philippines. Taiwan's Ambassador to the Philippines Michael Hsu and representatives from the Philippine Department of Tourism and major Philippine travel associations PTAA and PHITOA, shared their Taiwan tourism experiences at the event.
- Participated in the 2022 Seoul Lantern Festival in Korea to promote the 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taipei.
- Organized Taiwan tourism promotion activities with Loyalty Marketing and JR East Japan Group in Japan.
In addition, the overseas offices of the Tourism Bureau participated in local travel shows, including the Montreal International Tourism and Travel Show, IMEX America, WTM London Travel Fair, Hong Kong ANTOR Travel Carnival and Annual Meeting, and China International Travel Mart Cloud Travel Fair. The bureau also jointly participated in the Asuncion International Travel Fair in Paraguay with the overseas representative offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to keep Taiwan in the spotlight of international travelers.
Special Offers for Travel-Friendly Convenience
The Tourism Bureau continued to optimize the Muslim-friendly environment in Taiwan, with 336 restaurants and hotels Halal-certified in 2022.Taiwan maintained its second-place ranking among countries not members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as a preferred travel destination for Muslim travelers in MasterCard's 2022 Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI). Additionally, Taiwan was recognized as the "Inclusive Destination of the Year" among non-OIC countries in 2022 at the CrescentRating awards in Singapore.
In anticipation of the border reopening, the Tourism Bureau purchased various incentive gifts, including EasyCards, Taoyuan Airport MRT ride vouchers, five-day 4G internet cards, fruit box redemption cards, and a promotional two-for-one High Speed Rail fare. These incentives were featured in promotional campaigns after the border reopening to heighten the attraction of Taiwan as an inbound travel destination.
Participation in the 2022 Taipei International Travel Fair
The Tourism Bureau invited 72 industry insiders from 15 countries to attend the 2022 Taipei International Travel Fair Travel Mart held by the Taiwan Visitors Association on November 3, 2022. The visitors held face-to-face talks with nearly 100 domestic vendors. During their time in Taiwan, global buyers also visited six major scenic areas with international charm and several tourism circles.
The Tourism Bureau also arranged the Taiwan Pavilion at the 2022 Taipei International Travel Fair held from November 3 to 6, 2022. Showcasing the concept of "Taiwan Play," the exhibit presented new modes of post-pandemic travel focused on Taiwan's unique cultural, ecological, and lifestyle experiences under six tourism themes, promoting the unique new travel experiences in Taiwan.
