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Ma launches new Taipei shopping extravaganza

"Every city should have a special event with its own local flavor."

Ma Ying-jeou, Taipei City mayor

MasterCard Worldwide is teaming up with the Taipei City Government and local retailers to host the capital's largest shopping and dining fair from Aug. 1 to Sept. 15, organizers said at a press conference yesterday.

Aimed at making Taipei a premier tourism destination in Asia, the 2006 Taipei Great Sale has the support of several local trade associations that will see a wide range of privileges and benefits offered at retail establishments, organizers said.

This means discounts will be available in 24 department stores, 14 hot spring resorts, 22 hotels and more than 100 restaurants for MasterCard cardholders. The international credit card organization is the major sponsor of the event.

"Every city should have a special event with its own local flavor," said Taipei City mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) at the launch ceremony.

"Whether you are a certified shopaholic or just someone in need of relaxation and pampering, get ready for an exciting time ahead with a huge variety of benefits in shopping, gourmet food, spa treatments and travel," Ma said.

Pamphlets in Mandarin, English and Japanese giving festival information and shopping maps will be available at international airports, MRT stations and other venues.

"With the help of MasterCard's international presence, we hope to increase the number of inbound tourists over the next month and a half, and make the event a renowned campaign following on from Singapore's shopping fair between June and July and Hong Kong's between July and August," said Kang Bing-cheng (康炳政), executive director of the city government's Tourism Commission on the sidelines of the conference.

Tourism Bureau figures show the nation received more than 1.74 million foreign visitors in the first six months of the year, a slower-than-expected growth of 5.57 percent from a year ago.

Unless visitor numbers pick up significantly during the second half of the year, the government will struggle to meet the Cabinet's goal of boosting tourist numbers to 5 million by 2008, said a government official on condition of anonymity.

Groups participating in the event include the Retailers Association of Chinese Taipei (中華民國百貨協會), the International Tourist Hotels Association of Taipei (台北市觀光旅館商業同業公會) and the Taipei Hot Springs Association (台北市溫泉發展協會).
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