Welcome to Taiwan, Mr. Grabitz!
TAIPEI, Taiwan-(Business Wire)-September 18, 2009 - Taiwan’s lucky three-millionth foreign visitor arrived in Taipei on Sept. 16. This year the Taiwan Tourism Bureau had already awarded two “millionth visitors,” Ms. Yap Ah Mooi from Malaysia who was the one-millionth visitor, and Mr. Wong Chi Hoi from Hong Kong who was the two-millionth visitor; and Mr. Bernd Georg Grabitz from Germany became the year’s third winner, when he arrived from Frankfurt aboard China Airlines flight CI062. The 47-year-old Mr. Grabitz is an automotive R&D engineer who came with a group of six friends and family members for a 15-day tour of sites around Taiwan including Yangmingshan, the National Center for Traditional Arts in Yilan, Taroko Gorge in Hualien, Zhiben Hot Springs in Taitung, Taichung, Xitou, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, plus a three-day trip to the Penghu Islands. Mr. Grabitz is a charitable person, and he planned to donate to typhoon victims or charity organizations the amount remaining from his NT$300,000 stored-value prize after his Taiwan visit.
The Tourism Bureau notes that Taiwan’s tourism industry has performed very well this year despite the financial crisis, the threat of H1N1 flu, and the ravages of Typhoon Morakot. Visitor arrivals in the first eight months of 2009 grew at a rate of 11.63%; and while last year’s three-millionth visitor arrived on Oct. 15, this year’s three-millionth was a month earlier. To keep the arrivals figures increasing, the Tourism Bureau is carrying out promotional strategies targeted at the specific characteristics of different tourism markets and is continuing to organize major activities associated with “Tour Taiwan Years.” These activities include the “One Dollar for Five Stars” stopover program from the European and American markets, and the promotion of Taiwan-China tours that take advantage of direct cross-straits flights.
To keep tourism growing in southern Taiwan following the Typhoon Morakot disaster, in early October the Bureau’s Hong Kong Branch will introduce “Go Taiwan Praying for Blessings Tours” in cooperation with Hong Kong travel agents; in addition, 17 prominent reporters will be invited to see with their own eyes that Taiwan’s natural beauty remains intact following Typhoon Morakot. To promote the Japanese market, 120 Taiwan tourism businesses are taking part in the Tokyo travel fair this month, letting the Japanese media know that Taiwan is still a safe and comfortable travel destination. At the end of the month the “Mayday World Tour in Taipei” pop concert is expected to attract 2,000 overseas tourists, and the 2009 Bike Taiwan event will bring in 500 foreign bikers from all over the world to experience the island’s fantastic biking opportunities and mold an image of Taiwan as a “bicycle tourism island.”
Based on arrivals performance so far, the Tourism Bureau predicts that Taiwan will greet its four-millionth visitor of the year in December.
Photos: http://www.cna.com.tw/postwrite/cvpread.aspx?ID=37899
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