Summer is peak tourist season, and this year promises record-high numbers of travelers as people around the world make up for lost time due to pandemic border restrictions. The boom comes at an opportune time for Taiwan as the country ramps up efforts to establish itself as a top global destination. This year the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Tourism Bureau (TB) has allotted over NT$5 billion (US$16 million) to attract international visitors, aiming to hit 6 million overseas arrivals by the end of 2023 and to return to the pre-pandemic level of 12 million in 2024.
Taiwan has long been a favored vacation spot for citizens of other Asia-Pacific countries and this year saw it break into the top 10 most popular international destinations for travelers from the region in Mastercard Economics Institute’s latest Travel Industry Trends report. This preferred status is borne out in TB data, which shows that the largest sources of visitors in the first four months of 2023 were Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. Both the 1 millionth and 2 millionth inbound visitors also hailed from the Asia-Pacific, with the former from Malaysia and the latter from Hong Kong.
These details are proof that the TB’s strategies to court international tourists are bearing fruit. The 2 millionth visitor, who arrived on a six-day family holiday, directly benefited from one of the bureau’s recent incentive programs as winner of a lucky draw worth NT$5,000 (US$160). Launched May 1 and active through 2025, the scheme is giving away 500,000 such vouchers and stored-value cards to individual foreign travelers and subsidies of up to NT$50,000 (US$1,600) to operators of group tours to Taiwan. Other incentives include free high-speed rail tickets with the purchase of flights to Taiwan and free half-day tours to eligible passengers transiting through the country.
The measures supplement the TB’s Taiwan Tourism 2025 campaign aiming to strengthen the domestic industry while cultivating the country’s international image as a first-rate destination. It builds on the Executive Yuan’s 2020 tourism development strategy, which sought to promote Taiwan’s reputation for warm hospitality, authentic experiences and smart technologies. Phase one of the 2025 campaign continued in the same vein in preparation for the post-pandemic surge in travel, leading to the creation of 16 classic itineraries and 74 in-depth specialty tours designed for international tourists by local governments in collaboration with the TB.
This year marks the beginning of phase two, which entails an all-out push to expand the country’s marketing presence in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The TB’s 16 overseas branch offices spread across Asia, Europe and North America are playing a critical role in tailoring publicity to their respective regions. The Malaysia office, for instance, targets Chinese Malaysians by emphasizing cultural similarities that make Taiwan feel like a home away from home and reaches out to Muslims, the majority religious group, by advertising the halal-friendly measures that won the country recognition as Inclusive Destination of the Year among non-Organization of Islamic Cooperation states at CrescentRating’s 2022 Halal in Travel Awards.
Between the recent interest in Taiwan in international media and the post-pandemic resurgence in tourism, now is the ideal time for the government to reveal the country’s hidden depths to the world. From its rich ethnic makeup and wealth of folk traditions to its lush forests offering wilderness adventures and world-recognized cuisine with something to tempt every palate, Taiwan has the potential to be so much more than just the Heart of Asia. Indeed, all it takes is a single visit for Taiwan to earn a special place in any traveler’s heart.