ITF Travel Exhibition / Coca Cola Macau 4888 "Japan’s No.1" Mascot Also Makes an Appearance

▲The mascots Abenobear (right) from HARUKAS300 and Sorakara from Tokyo Skytree appeared together at the Coca Cola Travel booth. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong, same below)

Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Taipei Reporting

The 2015 Taipei International Travel Fair, which opened today, saw many exhibitors reporting "booming" business on the first day. Boosted by strong demand from Japan and other Northeast Asian regions, along with favorable euro exchange rates, many companies achieved impressive results on opening day. Coca Cola Travel has launched a series of promotional packages for popular Asian destinations this year. In addition to skiing and Japan tours, Macau trips are also being offered in conjunction with the newly opened Studio City, with 3-day itineraries starting from just 4,888 yuan.

▲On the first day of the travel fair, the Coca Cola booth was already bustling with activity.

Coca Cola’s limited-time 3-day Macau package for this travel fair includes access to the luck-bringing Sky Tower Carousel at Studio City and the Batman 4D Cinema, adding new experiences to a trip to Macau. There’s also a 3-day Hong Kong freestyle tour with 3-night stay at the Regal Riverside Hotel in Tsuen Wan, starting from 3,888 yuan. For the upcoming 9-day Spring Festival holiday next year, a series of promotions offering discounts of up to 5,000 yuan have also been planned. Despite it being the first day of the exhibition, the booth was crowded with customers inquiring and making purchases.

Coca Cola Travel stated that for Japan, a favorite destination among Taiwanese travelers, the travel fair this year features skiing packages to well-known snow resorts such as Hokkaido, Nagano, and Minohara. Osaka is also featured with packages that include visits to Japan’s tallest skyscraper, the Abeno HARUKAS300 observation deck, and surrounding attractions, with packages starting from 15,999 yuan.

▲Visitors can try on traditional Japanese yukata at the venue and experience authentic Japanese culture.

At the travel fair, the mascot Abenobear from HARUKAS300 also made a rare joint appearance with Sorakara from Tokyo Skytree at the Coca Cola Travel booth. The mascots representing "Japan’s tallest building" and "Japan’s tallest tower" attracted crowds eager to take photos with them. In addition, Coca Cola Travel provided Japanese yukata for visitors to try on, offering the fun of stepping into the world of Oedo Onsen Monogatari.

Aside from Coca Cola Travel, the Japan route also became the top-selling product for Lion Travel on the first day. Other travel agencies also revealed that besides Asia, long-haul routes to Europe also performed well this year.