Customized Europe & America Tours Trending – Pineapple Cakes and Fortune Sticks Catch the Eye

Reporter Zhu [illegible], Taipei News

In addition to participating in overseas exhibitions, Taiwan also attracted the attention of international buyers with its most distinctive offerings such as pineapple cakes, tea, and temple fortune sticks, while collaborating with travel agencies to provide real-time travel information on the spot for foreign consumers interested in visiting Taiwan. Xu [illegible], Chairman of the Taipei City Travel Agents Association, stated that they can offer incentive travel plans for 100 to 200 people, as well as 500-person corporate group tours.

To promote Taipei’s advantages in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry to Europe and America, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Information and Tourism traveled to Frankfurt, Germany to participate in the “2013 International Incentive Travel & Meetings Exhibition.” They further captivated international buyers with pineapple cakes and uniquely designed temple fortune sticks. This exhibition saw participation from over 75 countries and 3,900 professional buyers. During the three-day event, the Department of Information and Tourism booth engaged in direct exchanges with more than 300 buyers from Europe, America, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, providing customized consulting services tailored to each buyer’s needs.

% Hoping to solidify collaborations through this activity – many professionals expressed interest (Photo / Provided by the Department of Information and Tourism)

Zhao Xinpeng, Director of the Department of Information and Tourism, stated that they hope to introduce Taipei’s strengths to international buyers through this international event, especially targeting professionals in the Europe and America MICE industry by highlighting competitive advantages. Zhao gave an example: a buyer from Venezuela, Arturo Guevara, mentioned that the high-end clients he serves not only require top-tier accommodation but also seek travel experiences that allow deep immersion in local traditions and unique features, different from regular tour groups. Although Taiwan is geographically distant from Central and South America, to meet the needs of high-end clientele, Taipei will be his next tailor-made travel destination for clients. The same trend is seen in the Chinese mainland market. Zhao noted that in recent years, the trend for corporate incentive travel in China has been toward customizing travel methods based on the actual needs of enterprises.

Additionally, buyers from Europe and America showed high interest in sports tourism and traditional culture, such as international marathons and cycling tours. As for distinctive cultural and historical attractions like the National Palace Museum, Taipei Confucius Temple, and Wanhua’s Mengjia, they also captured the interest of European and American buyers. Furthermore, buyers from Southeast Asian countries expressed considerable interest in the overall incentive travel environment, coupled with the advantages of convenient air routes and relatively lower costs compared to Japan and Europe. Xu [illegible], Chairman of the Travel Agents Association, stated that this time they have provided both domestic and foreign buyers with tailored corporate incentive travel plans, and [illegible] local travel agencies also showcased Taiwan’s diverse MICE resources.