Thailand isn’t just about sightseeing and shopping – 13 Thai businesses visit Taiwan to promote “wellness tourism”

▲Dr. Surapong shares information about Thailand’s medical industry during his visit to Taiwan.

Reported and photographed by Chen Hanyin, Taipei correspondent

To foster tourism growth between Thailand and Taiwan, 13 Thai businesses and 30 Taiwanese travel agencies gathered today (26th) for a travel product exchange event, introducing a new form of “wellness tourism” to Taiwanese travelers, allowing them to enjoy more than just sightseeing and shopping in Thailand—also focusing on healing the body and mind for a healthier, more tranquil experience.

For many Taiwanese tourists, getting a massage or spa treatment has become a staple activity during trips to Thailand. In 2017, to boost the profile of Thailand’s service industry and the massage sector, local Thai spas, wellness centers, and herbal medicine businesses attended this exchange event to promote their offerings, aiming to better understand the needs of Taiwanese visitors and the future trends of the tourism industry.

▲Thirteen Thai spa and herbal medicine businesses participated in the exchange event.

According to data, the wellness tourism market is worth up to $1.6 trillion annually. In recent years, Thailand has been actively promoting wellness tourism and medical tourism products. With 520,000 Taiwanese visiting Thailand in 2016, recognizing the tourism business opportunities in the Taiwanese market, Thailand also hopes to package “wellness tourism” as an attractive product to offer Taiwanese travelers.