The number of South Korean tourists visiting Taiwan in the first two months this year increased by 96.66 percent year on year to 108,668, according to the ROC Tourism Bureau.
This is the first time the country has overtaken the U.S. to claim fourth place as a source of tourists to Taiwan, the bureau said.
Last year a record 351,301 South Koreans visited Taiwan, and numbers for the first two months of this year are not far behind mainland China, Japan and Hong Kong and Macau, the top three sources of tourist arrivals.
According to Zheng Yi-ping, head of the bureau’s International Affairs Division, the South Korean reality show “Grandpas Over Flowers,” which follows the overseas backpacking adventures of a group of senior citizens, has encouraged many other retirees to set off abroad.
The episode featuring Taiwan that aired in August made such Taiwan sights as the National Palace Museum, Yeliu Geopark in northern Taiwan, Taroko Gorge in the east and Alishan National Scenic Area in central Taiwan into popular talking points, boosting independent travel by South Korean seniors to the island.
Paul Hsu, vice president of South East Travel Service Co., said that Taiwan has been the top choice for South Korean seniors for the past two years, with tours this year fully booked until June. Besides visiting Taipei City, these senior tourists like to follow the grandpas down to Hualien and experience the majestic beauty of Taroko National Park.
Hsu said that South Koreans love to eat “xiaolongbao” or steamed dumplings, and adore local barbecue restaurants.
To appeal to the youth crowd, the bureau has created a popular idol-based marketing campaign. Taiwan’s Ivy Chen and South Korean Jo Jung-suk starred in mini film “Putong Putong” as touring cyclists who kept bumping into each other while sheltering from the rain, with romantic results. The movie gave South Korean viewers a chance to get to know the cycling paths around Jiufen in northern Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake in the center and Tainan City’s Fort Provintia in the south.
Aside from a flourishing group tour segment, there has also been clear growth in individual travelers from South Korea, Zheng said. They like best to follow the cultural trail, visiting such places as Huashan 1914 Creative Park and Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store in Taipei City.
According to Zheng, South Korean visitors to Taiwan are projected to exceed 400,000 this year, a significant boost to reaching this year’s 9 million overseas visitor target. (SDH)