Taiwan will try to attract more European tourists with its delicious food and hospitality as well as the unique artistic treasures of the National Palace Museum, the nation's top tourism official said in Paris Tuesday.
Su Cheng-tien (蘇正田), director general of the Tourism Bureau, made the remarks as he and other Taiwanese hoteliers attended a tourism promotion party at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel in Paris.
Su told more than 20 travel agents that Taiwan is a haven for food-lovers as it offers various delicious styles of Chinese food.
The various kinds of temples, where people have religious freedom, are intertwined with the lives of its country's residents, he said.
The National Palace Museum, with its priceless collection, is widely considered one of the top four museums in the world, he said, adding that French people, after visiting the Louvre Museum, should not miss the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Compared to Beijing's museum, Taipei's National Palace Museum is truly a major museum with a rich collection, Su said.
He also spoke about the new trend of offering package tours including Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, saying that travel agencies in the US have offered tours including both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
For those tourists interested in Chinese culture, travel agencies could arrange tours that include China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, or any of the three places, which Su said would be a boost to tourism for this country.
Su also discussed the difficulties that need to be addressed in attracting European tourists to Taiwan, saying the first factor is higher prices as compared to China and Southeast Asia.
In the future, Taiwan will strive to upgrade the quality of its tourism, Su said, adding that it will try to establish a good reputation instead of focusing on dramatically increasing the number of tourists.
* Taiwan is a mecca for food lovers.
* The vast treasures of the National Palace Museum.
* The variety of temples and other places of worship.
* The warm hospitality of the people.
Since many of the country's scenic spots are not well known internationally, the government will stress the nation's hospitality, in line with the slogan "touch your heart."
The great distance between Taiwan and Europe is another factor, Su said. Most European visitors to Taiwan now mainly come from Britain, France and Germany.
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