The Tourism Administration is to launch a series of major events next month as part of its cooperation with municipalities and counties to promote tourism.
The agency has worked with the nation’s 22 counties and municipalities to choose the top 100 must-see tourism spots in the hope of promoting more domestic tourism.
Starting next month, the municipalities are to take turns in hosting a series of six activities to attract tourists throughout the coming year.
Photo: CNA
The first annual Tourism Spotlight Awards in December last year allowed the public and experts to vote on 24 special destinations, with a total of 1.93 million people taking part.
As part of efforts to promote Hualien County, 76 additional destinations were nominated by the local government, with the combined list forming the 100 must-see tourism spots.
Each county and municipality is to host activities under an “island party” theme, with visitors incentivized to check in with their smartphone to win seasonal prizes and travel vouchers of up to NT$10,000 (US$312), Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Trust Lin (林信任) told a news conference.
The promotion is to start in Taichung and Hualien County, with the former offering perks during the upcoming Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival and the latter offering discounts on local dining options, Lin said.
Taiwan hopes to surpass 200 million domestic tourism visits this year, generating NT$400 billion in value, he said.
If the nation could welcome 10 million international visitors, it would bring in another NT$400 billion, he said, adding that the goal of the program is to further boost domestic travel and attract international travelers.
The agency twice revised down its goal of attracting 12 million international visitors after the challenges posed by China’s continued ban on tourism to Taiwan, the earthquake in April and typhoons, and now expects to welcome 7.5 million by the end of the year.
Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei until Nov. 24 is hosting an exhibit dedicated to the 100 destinations, with travel experts and special weekend events for visitors.
Additional reporting by Tsai Yun-jung
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