The Taiwan Tourism Bureau plans to continue building upon steadily rising UK visitor numbers by highlighting the island's strengths as a holiday destination at forthcoming travel trade events this year.

The tourism body will be attending the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) quiz nights in Chester on 2nd May, in Glasgow on 3rd May, in Bournemouth on 3rd July and in Brighton on 4th July, as well as having a presence at the Association of National Tourist Offices and Representatives (ANTOR) Meets the Trade event in London on 19th June. These events will be a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about Taiwan's unique selling points, see some suggested itineraries, to get any questions they have about the destination answered and to win some great prizes.

This year, as part of its “Year of Bay Tourism 2018” initiative, the tourist board will be raising awareness of the country's marine tourism assets, highlighting Taiwan's lesser-known collection of topographically diverse off-shore islands which offer white sand beaches, opportunities for snorkelling and scuba diving among vibrant coral reefs and tropical fish, fascinating history and colourful culture.

One of Taiwan's strengths as a holiday destination is how easy it is to get around the island. The country has a very extensive and safe transport network of trains, metros, taxis, buses, domestic flights and ferries, while the entire island can also be circumnavigated by bike. Thanks to the Taiwan High Speed Rail, visitors can travel from Taipei in the north to Kaohsiung in the south in just 90 minutes. Many road signs are also in English, which is great for British travellers.

Air access to Taiwan means the destination is well-served as both a single and multi-centre holiday to Asia. China Airlines now offers a direct flight from London Gatwick to Taipei five times each week, while national carrier EVA Air offers a daily flight from London Heathrow to Taipei which touches down in Bangkok and will launch a direct flight from Taipei to Chiang Mai in Thailand on 1st July.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has worked closely with the UK travel trade for a number of years to ensure they are fully briefed on Taiwan as an incredible holiday destination for British travellers. Last month, the tourist board escorted four operators on a comprehensive FAM trip across the country with China Airlines and will be hosting a further eight in May with EVA Air to showcase the Penghu Islands off the west coast of Taiwan. The tourism bureau also provides ongoing face to face and online training. Agents can email Taiwan@brightergroup.com for more information or head online for training at https://www.onlinetraveltraining.com/free-courses/providers/taiwan.

PATA quiz nights

-          2nd May – Chester

-          3rd May – Glasgow

-          3rd July – Bournemouth

-          4th July – Brighton

To register, please visit https://www.pata.org.uk/pata-events/  

ANTOR Meets the Trade

-          19th June – London

To register, please visit http://www.antor.com/events/ 

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For further information on Taiwan please visit: http://eng.taiwan.net.tw 

http://www.ten-hsieh.com.tw/english/main.htm 

Email taiwan@brightergroup.com or telephone 020 7326 9880

Notes for editors:

Taiwan - The Heart of Asia: This little island in the Western Pacific is a combination of Asia's most beautiful characteristics. Taiwan's breath-taking tapestry of landscapes offer impressive gorges, high mountains, adventurous coastlines, colourful corals, and volcanic islands. This is contrasted with its 21st century cities, fused with traditions and cultures; hundreds of years old in the modern world. Far-East-Flair, Asian culture, and subtropical nature come together to form the enchanting Heart of Asia.