The Taiwan Tourism Bureau is spending $2.6 million in North America, including a new web site launched in January, to get American travelers' attention. Last year Taiwan received 382,822 Americans. That figure was up from the 272,858 Americas who visited in a SARS-ridden 2003. In 2003, the Taiwanese government laid out a six-year plan with the goal of doubling the number of visitors to 5 million by 2008. The Taiwanese are using several pillars including the world's most extensive collection of Chinese art in the National Palace Museum in Taipei, some of the best Chinese food in Asia and some 10,000 Buddhist, Taoist and Confucius temples.Hmmm....it seems like this is your basic Taiwanese thinking about tourism in Taiwan. Did anyone actually survey Americans to see whether they liked Pingtung Pig's Feet, or thought Buddhist temples in Taiwan or the looted art objects from China worth the 14 hour flight from the far side of the US? The Bureau's main website is here. I'd love to get a look at their website aimed specifically at Americans....
[Taiwan]
some of the best Chinese food in Asia
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
[pauses to grab a tissue to wipe tears from my eyes]
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
This publicity campaign has only just begun. Be afraid... be very afraid.
ReplyDeleteI often give this one as an assignment to my students. Things to do in Taiwan....as a foreign tourist. Real short list. I went to Sri Lanka last year and the contrast was enormous...great beaches, lots of history, fantastic ruins, plenty of English.....
ReplyDeleteThe Taiwan Tourism Bureau has probably tried to obtain the type of numbers that you describe was unable to do so. The figures for tourist visits to Taiwan do not differentiate between pleasure tourism and visits made by authentic businessmen or even illegal English teachers. My wife once worked for the Tourist Bureau interviewing 'tourists' at CKS. She told me that she never interviewed a genuine pleasure tourist.
ReplyDeleteScott Sommers