Prasenjit Chakraborty - Mumbai The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) recently unveiled its new Taiwan Tourism Information Centre (TTIC) in Mumbai, an event that saw attendance from notable personalities from the travel industry.
Speaking to TravelBiz Monitor on the sidelines of the event, Trust H. J. Lin, the Deputy Director General of TTA, expressed his admiration for India, describing it as a country of immense beauty and potential for Taiwan’s inbound tourism sector. “I’ve had the opportunity to visit India 12 times, and each visit unveils something new about this vibrant market. Post-pandemic, we’ve noticed an increasing desire among Indians to explore international destinations for their holidays, with Taiwan gradually becoming a favoured choice for corporate meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) for Indian companies,” Lin shared.
Lin attributes this interest partly to Taiwan’s robust IT sector, which attracts a significant number of Indian visitors to its exhibitions. To further boost this interest, the Taiwan Tourism Administration is offering incentives such as sponsored city tours around these events. “These incentives are a part of our efforts to enhance the visitor experience,” he added.
Targeting not just the MICE segment, TTA is also focusing on attracting families, leisure travellers, and free independent travellers (FIT), with Lin noting an increasing demand for immersive cross-cultural travel experiences.
Despite a drop in visitor numbers from India from 40,000 in 2019 to 32,000 last year, Lin is optimistic about a strong recovery, expecting to reach or even surpass pre-pandemic levels this year. “We’re at an 80% recovery rate, and I’m confident we’ll achieve full recovery soon,” he remarked.
To further this aim, TTA plans to ramp up its investment in the Indian market, including organising familiarisation (FAM) trips for media and travel professionals, as well as boosting its presence in both print and digital media.
Lin ended on a high note, stating, “Taiwan is back, and our commitment to the Indian market is stronger and more focused than ever.”
