Department of Tourism marketing blitz draws in Taiwanese tourists

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has concluded a month-long promotional blitz in Taiwan. Activities included the Taipei International Tourism Festival, activities at the East Mall of ChunghsiaoFuxing MRT Station and the launch of the Philippines Insight Guidebook in the Mandarin language.

According to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, “Taiwan is currently our 6th largest source of tourists. It is also a major trading and investment partner. Our marketing activities focus on showing potential tourists that the Philippines is their closest holiday destination. We have the sports, adventure, shopping and relaxation attractions, as well as a uniquely different culture just a couple of hours away.”

The activities were managed by DOT Officer In Charge Ireneo Reyes and Senior Tourism Operations Officer Leo Degario Magsalin, who were hands-on during the DOT’s participation in the Taipei International Tourism Festival held at Taipei County. A 36-square meter booth was constructed for the four-day expo and showcased the country’s major diving and water sports, golf and adventure destinations. Taiwan-based travel wholesaler Philam Tours presented their special Philippine leisure packages to the over 8,000 visitors at the fair. The event featured 150 exhibitors from around the world.

Reyes shared that “The festival further served as the launch pad for the DOT’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program to the Taiwan market. This is a follow up on the success we have with Korean students. The program offers the Philippines as the most enriching and cost-effective way to learn and study the language. The Asian youth, in particular, need not go too far and spend more to immerse themselves in a culturally-diverse, English-speaking country.”

The first batch of Taiwanese students will be arriving within the next few months to learn English at the Cleverlearn English Language Institute (CELI) in Cebu. The study tour includes visits to different historical landmarks and other points of interest across the country.

To sustain the interest gained through the fair, the department embarked on a month-long promotional blitz at the East Mall of ChunghsiaoFuxing MRT Station. A special booth was set up at a strategic location, encouraging shoppers with accumulated receipts of up to NT$ 1,000 to try their luck on winning either a Philippine-handcrafted keepsake jewelry box or one of 10 fully-hosted tropical beach holiday packages.

The 15-member UP Singing Ambassadors gave mall visitors a sampling of Filipino music during their weekend performances, where more prizes were given out during a fun trivia game between sets.

“The travel fair and mall event proved successful. We’ve been receiving calls from our partner travel operators sharing that they’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries about the Philippines,” Magsalin revealed.

The WOW Philippines Shopping Promo included radio and print advertisements in Taiwan’s leading media channels, as well as banners and posters featuring the various destinations and attractions.

While in Taipei, the delegation further launched the Mandarin version of the Philippines Insight Guidebook, the very first comprehensive handbook for Chinese readers. Sourced from the English-language edition developed by Insight Guides and Discovery Channel, the reference contains articles on Philippine culture, history and traditions. It also has handy information on the various attractions of the islands, as well as maps, transportation details and operating hours. Emergency numbers and listings of hotels, restaurants, shops with comparative pricing details are also included.

Secretary Durano declared that, “With this publication, we hope to pique the interest of the Taiwanese tourist. The book provides Chinese readers with essential data about the Philippines. This is part of our effort to create a truly enjoyable experience for our travelers.”

Produced by China Times Publishing, copies of the guide have been distributed to the major bookstores in Taiwan and will be donated to schools, libraries and other institutions.

The DOT team also joined Cebu Pacific in inaugurating the airline’s new Manila-Taipei flight offerings, which was held at the Chang Kai Shek International Airport in Taipei. The air carrier now flies a 179-seater Airbus A320 aircraft to and from Taiwan daily.