Taiwan is going full throttle to becoming a popular and Muslim-friendly tourist destination. With more than 150 restaurants, hotels, and other business operations having obtained Halal certification in Taiwan, Taiwan is now a preferred travel destination from the Middle East. Last year, the number of tourists from the Middle East set a new high record, followed by further double-digit year-on-year growth of 13.64 percent in the first two months of 2018.
To tap into this fast growing market, Taiwan Tourism Bureau participated in ATM, the largest travel industry fair in the Middle East held annually in Dubai for the fifth time. With a 2-story high pavilion featuring the country’s beautiful coastlines, offshore islets, and for the first time, the stand also featured the quaint streets and mountains of Jiufen.
The TTB delegation attending ATM was headed by Dr. Trust Lin, Director, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Singapore Office, and included Lion Travel Service, Pro Tours Express, the Chinese Muslim Association, Xing Yuan Tea Farm and Big 5 Tours.
Also performing at the the stand were music band Liu Sheng Ji – that mixes traditional music with modern elements and performs at various events globally showcased their famous video “Breakout” that received 100,000 views on youtube within 7 days.
The Director of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau Singapore Office, Trust Lin, said that Taiwan has been dedicated to becoming a Muslim friendly destination, with restaurants, hotels, leisure farms and other business operations having obtained Halal certifications, and that can be attributed to the double-digit growth of the travelers from Muslim nations.
Calligraphy artist Ku Chi-chun, tea taster Liu Ching-yuan, aluminum wire artist Teng Chia-Ming were also present to engage with the hoardes of visitors that flocked at the stand.
Among the fastest growing travelers from Muslim-majority countries, the United Arab Emirates comes first, with more than 20 percent growth.
Apart from ATM, there was a travel agent workshop in Muscat, Oman and in Dubai,. The workshop in Dubai was attended by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council) and Emirates Airlines gave away 2 economy class tickets to Taipei in both the workshops in Muscat and Dubai.
Essential Taiwan... Administrative and Commercial Capital: Taipei Geography: Located 180 kilometers off the southeastern coast of China, Taiwan has an area of 35,881 km2 (13,853.7 sqmi). Demography: A population of close to 23 Million. Muslims account for about 0.3% of the population. Climate: The best time to travel is between October to April as the average temperature in Taipei, Taiwan is 21.6 °C (71 °F). Language: Taiwanese Hokkien, commonly called "Taiwanese", is the language with the most native speakers. English is widely spoken and the Taiwanese are very mild, polite and friendly people. Local Time: +4:0 hours. Taipei is 4:0 hours ahead of the UAE. That means when it is 9:00 am in Dubai, it is 1:00 pm in Taipei. Flights: There are a number of direct flights and ones with stops between UAE and Taiwan. The flying time between Taiwan and UAE is 8 hrs, 42 minutes approximately. Currency: 1 Taiwan Dollars equals 0.12 AED