Taiwan will make a strong effort during the 2012 London Olympics to promote itself as an ideal tourist destination, according to the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Nov. 14.
“Next year’s summer games are a great opportunity for Taiwan to make itself better known to the world, as London will be the center of the world’s attention for several weeks and hundreds of thousands of global travelers will descend upon the city,” said Liu Hsi-lin, deputy director-general of the bureau.
“We plan to enhance Taiwan’s exposure by advertising in places such as airports, taxis, double-decker buses, trains and magazines, aiming for Taiwan to become the next destination for European travelers,” he added.
Many of the ads will carry a new slogan, “Taiwan-Time for Taiwan,” which will replace the old one, “Taiwan-Touch Your Heart,” the bureau said.
According to Liu, the number of European tourists visiting Taiwan between January and September of this year totaled 153,365, up 2.79 percent from the same period last year.
During the first nine months of the year, visitors from the Netherlands increased the most, by 8.39 percent annually. They were followed by French tourists, who increased by 6.47 percent. The number of U.K. tourists dropped by 4.25 percent to 31,982, Liu said, attributing the decline to the economic downturn the nation is facing.
“Although there is a slump in the European economy, Europe is still a promising market because traveling is such an important part of the European lifestyle,” Liu pointed out.
Since the beginning of this year, the Tourism Bureau has already begun placing tourism advertisements in London’s buses, trains and subways. (HZW)
Write to Grace Kuo at morningk@mail.gio.gov.tw