2018 Year of Bay Tourism Highlighting the Beauty of Small Isles Wins International Award

Aiming to develop sustainable tourism, the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications promoted ecotourism in 2017. The subsequent 2018 Year of Bay Tourism focused on maritime themes, featuring Taiwan’s top 10 offshore islands in a branded campaign that successfully debunked the widely held notion that Taiwan equals Taipei.

The 10+ Offshore Islands of Taiwan campaign created considerable social media buzz about the selected 10 isles, successfully marketing the stunningly beautiful nature of Guishan Island, Green Island, Orchid Island, Xiao Liuqiu (Little Okinawa), Qimei, Xiyu, Jibei, Lieyu, Dongju, and Beigan to international travelers.

The campaign video and another ocean-themed promotional video­ Sand, Sun and Sea in Taiwan bagged a third and second prize respectively at the Golden City Gate tourism media awards during the world’s leading travel show in Berlin this March, proof that Taiwan’s coastal and maritime tourism is being noticed internationally.

Aiming to alert people to the importance of protecting marine resources, the Tourism Bureau organized 97 beach and riverbank cleaning drives in 2018, during which more than 30,000 people collected 90,000 tons of garbage.

Xiao Liuqiu, also known as Little Okinawa, became the first island to issue a “beach currency,” glass shards, recovered from beaches, which were hand painted by local artists. Those who joined beach cleaning drives were able to win one of the collector’s items, which could also be used for purchases in the community.

Beach currency at Xiao Liuqiu/Little Okinawa (Source: Tourism Bureau)

Just imagine swimming with green sea turtles off Xiao Liuqiu, touring Dapeng Bay with its natural ocean treasures and man-made cultural attractions, or watching whales and dolphins near Guishan Island.

In April, Asia Dive Expo, the largest and longest running diving trade show in Asia, selected Taiwan as the 2019 Eco Destination of the Year, acknowledging Taiwan’s consistent track record in environmental protection, such as ecological surveys, ocean and beach cleaning, tree planting, crab protection, and carbon emission and plastic waste reduction.

More than 12.08 million people participated in 41 special bay tourism activities sponsored by the Tourism Bureau in 2018, generating tourism revenue worth NT$5.7 billion.

                       

From Bay Tourism to Small Town Rambling in 2019 ­- Discovering Taiwan’s Local Diversity

Given that the 2018 Bay Tourism Year unleashed our ocean spirit and shone on the international stage, Tourism Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui proposed the 2019 Small Town Ramble Year.

Forty out of the 368 townships across Taiwan were selected for this year’s campaign, including many with coastal scenery. They will show the world a different side of rural Taiwan.

A tour could take you to Donggang in Pingtung County, where you could witness the ongoing transformation of traditional fishing villages, watch the boats come and go and take your pick from freshly caught seafood. Or you could visit Taiwan’s largest lagoon, Dapeng Bay, one of the sites of the spectacular 2019 Lantern Festival held in Pingtung earlier this year.

The main festival lantern in the shape of a bluefin tuna jumping over waves remains on site and is currently being reinforced. By early August, the lantern is expected to light up again in its glory as seen during the festival, entertaining visitors with a dazzling evening light show.

2019 Pingtung Lantern Festival (Source: Tourism Bureau)

The Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival, which is entering its 12^th year, covers a three-kilometer stretch of golden sand beach between Yanliao and Fulong on the Northeast corner of Taiwan.

Its soft, fine sand mixed with water is ideal for sculpting, which is why the World Sand Sculpting Association has acknowledged the area as the best for making sand sculptures in Taiwan.

The Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival (Source: Tourism Bureau)

This year, the festival offers a wide range of cultural, entertainment and fitness events and artworks from the fields of sculpture, painting and architecture. Activities cater to people of all ages and are designed to be sustainable, green and friendly to the environment.

The widely anticipated 2019 Formosa Summer Festival will be rung in with nostalgic train travel and frozen treats. From Taiwan proper to the Penghu Islands, this event will attract local and international visitors to experience traditional culture and get to know local customs and practices at a deeper level.

Diverse Marketing on a Global Scale in 2020 ­- Taiwan Moves Toward Sustainable Tourism

Not only are Taiwanese people Taiwan’s most beautiful feature, Taiwan has also been voted the second most welcoming country in the world behind Portugal in the latest Expat Insider survey.

On top of that, Taiwan is actively exploring the Middle East market. These efforts bore fruit when Taiwan was granted the Best Emerging Destination award at the Versatile Excellence Travel Awards (VETA) Middle East 2019 hosted by TravelScapes in Dubai in April.

Banking on its marine resources, Taiwan remained the second largest source market in Asia by passenger volume, ahead of Singapore and behind China, in 2018, and continues to develop the cruise market.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau counts among the initiators of the Asia Cruise Cooperation (ACC), which brings together 20 ports in six destinations: Hainan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Xiamen. In a concerted effort, the alliance develops multi-stop routes, attracting international cruise lines to call on ports in Taiwan.

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In February, the Tourism Bureau signed a memorandum of understanding with three universities - National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, National Taiwan Ocean University and National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology -­ to collaborate on research into the development of Taiwan’s cruise market to make it more professional and increase its visibility.

The coming year will be marketed as The Year of Mountain Tourism, and will make a strong case for climbing and hiking in Taiwan’s majestic mountain ranges.

In the future, the Tourism Bureau will continue to develop a diversified market and encourage National Travel Card usage. It will also give guidance to tourism operators for industrial upgrading, promoting experiential tourism and developing smart tourism with the help of AI technology to turn Taiwan into a top destination for “smart travel and touching experiences.”

Translated by Susanne Ganz
Edited by TC Lin, Sharon Tseng
Content sponsored by Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications

(This is an ad from Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications)