From halal fried chicken to hot spring hotels with prayer facilities, the nation is adapting its traditional tourist draws to woo Muslim visitors as Chinese arrivals dwindle.
Chinese tourist numbers have slid dramatically as relations with the nation deteriorate, sparking speculation that Chinese authorities are turning off the taps to pressure the Democratic Progressive Party government.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration is looking to boost relations with 16 South and Southeast Asian nations through its New Southbound Policy, and is seeking more visitors from the region.
Photo: AFP
That has meant a growing number of tourists from Muslim-majority nations, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Taiwan last year welcomed 30 percent more visitors from Southeast Asia.
Taoism is the prevalent religion in Taiwan, with Muslims making up less than 2 percent of the population, but tourists who spoke to Agence France-Presse said they were surprised at how welcome they felt.
“I really like the natural scenery in Taiwan and the people are very nice,” said Ashma Bunlapho, 40, a Muslim tourist from Thailand on a five-day trip with her husband.
Photo: AFP
She found halal restaurants using Google Maps, including a shop selling beef noodles, and felt free to pray where she chose, taking her mat with her to famous nature spots including Sun Moon Lake.
Malaysian tourist Dean Idris said that halal eats were easily accessible when he visited Taipei with his two young children.
“I learned that Taiwan, Taipei especially, is actually Muslim-friendly,” he said outside a mosque in the capital, where he had gone to pray.
Thailand, South Korea and Japan are among Asian countries that are tapping into the Muslim travel market, which is fueled by growth in cheap flights and a booming middle class in nations such as Indonesia.
Fried Chicken Master, a small shop not far from Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall has adapted to the trend, selling a halal version of the snack.
“We hope to be able to serve tourists, exchange students or Muslims living in Taiwan. As Taiwanese we are proud of our food,” said Louis Tsai, a spokesman for Super Qin Group, which owns the shop.
A trip to one of the nation’s hot springs resorts tops most tourists’ to-do lists and Gaia Hotel in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), best-known for its natural pools, provides guest rooms with prayer-direction signs and prayer schedules.
Minibars there are alcohol-free and cakes do not include pork-based gelatin. To obtain its halal certification, the hotel kitchen created a separate cooking and dining area.
“Since the number of Chinese tourists has decreased, and Southeast Asia is quite a sizable market with many Muslims, this is an area we have to actively pursue,” Gaia operations manager Jack Chang (張天傑) said.
On his visit to Istanbul this month, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) met with Turkish lawmakers who want to fund the building of a third mosque in Taipei, according to the city government.
The government is also trialing visa waivers for Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines, and in June last year eased visa rules for six southbound nations, including Indonesia, India and Cambodia.
However, some doubt whether the growth in Muslim tourism is enough to offset the lost income from China. Chinese visitor numbers, which have been falling since Tsai took office in May 2016, dropped by one-fifth last year.
Salahuding Ma (馬超彥), secretary general of the Chinese Muslim Association, Taiwan’s largest halal certification body, said it is hard for the new wave of tourists to compete with their Chinese counterparts.
“The Chinese have wealth and spend lavishly,” he said. “If you are talking about Southeast Asia, which countries can even compare?”
The nation would have greater success if it overcame the language barrier by encouraging students from target nations to work in the tourism sector, Ma said
For Thai visitor Bunlapho, her lack of Mandarin skills and limited English proved an obstacle when trying to find transportation to Taroko National Park.
“I could not figure out how to get there,” she said. “Next time. I will come back.”
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