Taipei has been picked by Fox News’ Web site as one of the top 10 budget travel destinations for next year, thanks to its emerging culinary scene, upscale new construction and lush hot springs.
Fox News said that although many Web sites have put together “best travel” lists for the coming year, few do so with such a keen eye toward savings as it does.
“Our editors comb through piles of data, news, currency charts, and industry trends to find our nominees for the world’s new best-value destinations — then passionately debate which of the candidates will make the final list,” the report said.
Photo: CNA
It said that this year’s winners have far more going for them than mere markdowns, with some being perennial, family-friendly favorites and some being overlooked underdogs ready for their turn in the global spotlight.
Explaining why Taipei has been included on the list, which does not give specific rankings, the report cited the opening of Taiwan to independent Chinese tourists in June.
The arrival of these “free independent travelers” marked a turning point for Taiwan, which could be a sign that a long-lived cross--Taiwan Strait political stalemate might finally be thawing, the report said.
“It also brought an influx of tourism revenue and a renewed interest in the Pacific island’s assets,” the report said.
As Taiwan’s political and commercial nerve center, Taipei has “an emerging culinary scene [world--famous chef Joel Robuchon opened a Taipei restaurant in November 2009] and plenty of snazzy new construction, while the surrounding countryside offers hot springs, majestic mountains and golden-sand beaches,” it said.
To cater to new visitors, the report went on, the Taiwanese government launched a new tourist bus travel service running cheap day trips to attractions, such as Sun Moon Lake, which include a cable-car ride, a boat tour and electric scooter rentals.
The report added that while a recent bump in the number of US visitors to Asia has caused hotel prices elsewhere to jump 4 percent — like in South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore — Taipei’s rooms are 11 percent cheaper than they were last year, at an average rate of US$144 per night.
The report cites October and November as the most pleasant months to visit, with less than 100mm of rainfall and average high temperatures of about 24°C.
Other venues on the list are: Portugal’s Azores islands; Egypt; San Diego, California; Canada’s Maritime provinces; Belize; San Antonio, Texas; Poland; Kansas City, Missouri; and Athens, Greece.
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