Travel Expo / Turkey Waives 20K / 6 Must-Grab Popular Items to Hunt at the Weekend Expo

▲The Taipei International Travel Fair officially opened today.

Reported by Chen Rui-zhong / Taipei

The 4-day 2016 Taipei International Travel Fair officially kicked off today, drawing 59,135 visitors on the first day. In addition to the ever-popular Japan, Korea boosted by K-dramas, affordable Turkey, and Europe were also among today’s best-selling destinations. The annually popular domestic meal vouchers, accommodation vouchers, and Japan Wi-Fi rental services also enjoyed high popularity on-site.

To help the public quickly grasp the highlights of this year’s travel fair, ETtoday Travel Cloud has compiled the six most popular items, all of which visitors can explore in detail on-site.

▲This year, meal and accommodation vouchers are heating up more slowly, but weekend visitors can still snag great deals.

1. Domestic Meal and Accommodation Vouchers Are Still Available to Grab!
Due to the overlap with the May 20 inauguration ceremony, the queue for meal and accommodation vouchers was noticeably shorter today. Industry insiders estimate the popularity is around 70% of last year’s level, with the biggest buying rush expected over the weekend. Therefore, those who visit during the weekend holidays have a better chance of scoring bargains.

Despite lower foot traffic, many vendors are offering attractive deals. Okura Prestige Taipei has designed various combo packages this year, with 4-person and 10-person buffet vouchers being the most popular. Evergreen Laurel Hotel noted that its own buffet vouchers are the hottest this year, even outperforming last year’s sales. Grand Hyatt Taipei also mentioned that its 2,500 NTD meal voucher combo sold out 1,000 sets within just one hour of launch, with more batches available for sale over the weekend.

2. Japan Remains Extremely Popular
Despite fluctuations in exchange rates, Japan’s popularity remains undiminished. With summer vacation approaching, theme parks such as Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and Tokyo Disneyland have introduced family-friendly discount packages. There are also numerous free independent travel options that include flights and hotels. Industry players added that although costs in Japan continue to rise, most are absorbed by providers, which remains a major advantage for consumers.

▲Turkey offers price advantages this year and is highly sought after.

3. Turkey Trip Prices Drop Below 20K
After experiencing terrorist attacks, Turkey has been actively seeking to revive its tourism industry. Coupled with ample airline supply, trips to Turkey—which used to be prohibitively expensive—now feature many 9-day itineraries under 30,000 NTD. Some vendors are even offering 7-day all-inclusive 5-star packages for just 19,900 NTD, making it a prime opportunity to grab a deal.

4. Europe Trips Cheaper by 15K–30K NTD
Factors such as the economy, exchange rates, and flight availability have led to many European travel products being 3,000–5,000 NTD cheaper than the same period last year. Those who take advantage of pre-summer promotions can enjoy savings of over 10,000 NTD. For example, the popular 9-day Benelux & France itinerary is selling for around 45,000 NTD at the expo this year, a 15,000 NTD saving compared to last year. The 10-day Greece tour available for 80,000 NTD is also nearly 30,000 NTD less than last year’s price.

▲“Descendants of the Sun” is one of the major reasons behind the surge in Korean tourism.

5. “Song’s Wives” Heat Up Korea
Although “Descendants of the Sun” was mostly filmed in Greece, many scenes were shot in Korea. Boosted by the drama and increased flight options, Korean tourism has once again gained momentum this year. Many travel agencies have incorporated elements from the show into their itineraries to cater to the desires of “Song’s Wives.” Busan in the summer, known for water activities and seafood, has also become a popular alternative to Seoul.

▲This year, the Japan Pavilion features more Wi-Fi service providers for easier consumer choices.

6. More Wi-Fi Service Options in the Japan Pavilion
Traditionally focused on local tourism information, the Japan Pavilion this year is estimated to host 6–7 different network service providers, including Sakura Mobile and Walkersim. For travelers wishing to stay connected via LINE or post on Facebook, the expo offers a convenient opportunity to compare options all in one place.