Mayor Ko Wants More Malaysians to Visit Taipei in 2017

March 30, 2017

Mayor Ko Wants More Malaysians to Visit Taipei in 2017

27 March 2017, Kuala Lumpur – Taipei Mayor, Ko Wen-je hosted a Taipei tourism press launch together with China Airlines Chairman Ho Nuan-hsuan to promote brand-new Taipei tourism products to the Malaysian and Muslim markets.

Beginning 20 April 2017, Malaysians who purchase FUN TAIPEI travel packages covering three days and more can enjoy 35% preferential discount. They will also receive limited-edition Taipei commemorative year calendar notebooks containing Taipei preferential offers valued at MYR 4,000 (approx. NT$40,000).

To appeal to the Muslim market, their experience of Taipei begins on board China Airlines, which serves delicious halal-certified in-flight meals. Mayor Ko mentioned that Taipei City is actively luring Malaysian Muslims as a way to diversify the city’s tourism source markets. Taipei is committed to provide a welcoming, convenient, and fun environment for all tourists.

Malaysian celebrity Yana Samsudin also shared her experiences from two years ago when she visited Taipei to shoot a television series. She strongly recommends Taipei as a travel destination for Muslim tourists, recalling moments shared with her husband, director Fadzil Zahari, when they visited Yangmingshan to enjoy the flowers, as well as soaking up the sweeping vistas of the city from Taipei 101 Observatory.

Xinyi Commercial District and Songshan Cultural and Creative Park also made lasting impression on her; Yana stated that Xinyi’s shopping environment is comfortable and stylish. She also enthused about Taipei’s mango ice and how the taste lingered long after. Yana plans to return to Taipei with her husband, this time bringing their child along, to create more beautiful memories of Taipei.

Also read: Experience Taipei with Malindo Airlines: See, Shop, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

To make it even more convenient for Malaysians to visit Taipei, the city’s Department of Information and Tourism is promoting “Taipei – 5 Reason’s It’s a Must-See Destination.” The list includes “24-hour Culinary Convenience,” “Tradition X Innovation = New Cultural Experience,” “Taipei Easy Go!,” “The Joys of Shopping,” and “Relaxed Light Travel.” It also maps out three enriching theme-touring routes. One is “Fashion Shopping Joy,” which targets Malaysians’ love of shopping.

The other is “Old City New Experiences,” a route that specially introduces Taipei’s historical neighbourhoods, steeped in old-time flavours, during which visitors can absorb old-city stories while discovering much of what is new and innovative. The third is “Slow & Easy Light Travel,” focussing on the city’s natural attractions. Another draw specifically targeted for Muslims is the “Muslim fun Taipei Guide” that ensures Muslim tourists’ peace of mind when exploring the city.

To welcome the arrival of this year’s Taipei Universiade, the event’s ambassador Bravo the bear also made an appearance to encourage Malaysians to come to Taipei for the games and join in cheering the athletes. When presenting their passports and boarding passes, travellers from Malaysia who visit Taipei during the Universiade period will receive one free limited-edition illustrated EasyCard with NT$100 in stored value.

Mayor Ko stated that in recent years Taipei has been actively targetting the Southeast Asia market and seeing significant results. There is now continuous growth in the number of visitors from Malaysia to Taipei, and many changes have been put in place to attract more Muslims. In addition to enhancements on Muslim-friendly restaurants, hotels, and related facilities, Taipei also plans to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in July 2017. It is hoped that the overall number of visitors from Malaysia will rise and many travellers from the country will experience the enthusiasm and dynamism of Taipei’s citizens.