Tsai Ing-wen Appears at ITF Travel Show: Three Arrows, Five Themes to Boost Tourism

By/ Scenic Spots Home (compiled and reported)

Taiwan’s largest annual travel event and one of Asia’s top three travel expos, the 2019 ITF Taipei International Travel Fair was held from November 8 to 11 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. President Tsai Ing-wen and others made an appearance, and the opening ceremony took place following lively performances of traditional Korean dance and Amis warrior dances in Taiwan.

ITF, conceptualized as a jewelry box, symbolizes the various beautiful memories of travel. This year, ITF features exhibitors from 60 countries and regions, with 1,700 booths in total. Many exhibitors presented their offerings through themed pavilions and have also added more interactive experiences. Notably, this year’s highlights include new pavilions such as the Backbone Mountains, Taiwan’s Hot Springs, Forest Recreation Areas, National Parks, and Railway Tourism, offering a one-stop experience to fulfill all your travel needs.

In terms of domestic tourism, the Autumn-Winter Domestic Travel Project has allocated a budget of 3.6 billion NTD, aiming to generate 25.6 billion NTD in tourism benefits. In addition to expanding subsidies for autumn-winter domestic travel (with domestic travel in October up by 10% compared to the same period last year) and strengthening the inbound market (e.g., simplifying visa procedures, resulting in a 30% increase in tourists from countries like Thailand and the Philippines), three key initiatives will be launched moving forward. These focus on upgrading the Ministry of Transportation and Communications into a Tourism Administration, convening a National Tourism Conference to enhance tourism capacity, and developing a White Paper on Taiwan’s Tourism Vision for 2030.

In response to changing travel trends and the diversification of consumer preferences, tourism transformation is essential. In addition to hosting travel product briefings that provide the latest tourism information, the ITF also serves as an exhibition and sales platform (travel trade fair), with nearly 100 buyers from around the world participating this year. It is also a knowledge platform (travel forum), inviting 15 experts and scholars to discuss global tourism trends and the current state of Taiwan’s tourism industry.

The travel product briefings and travel forums, which are highlights of the travel exhibition, offer a variety of travel information. This year, they focus on five major themes: “Budget Travel,” “Travel Together,” “Next Stop, Taiwan,” “Explore the World,” and “Local Heart Experiences.” The most anticipated session, “Expanding into the New Blue Ocean of Southbound Markets,” specially invites experts from the government, industry, and academia of four countries—Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam—that have shown rapid growth and great potential in recent years—to share in-depth insights.