Taiwan has reached remarkable tourist achievements, with more than 7 million visitors last year, making tourism the nation’s fourth-largest industry, Radio Taiwan International said. That shows Taiwan’s rising popularity as a tourist destination, not only because of its natural beauty and cultural landscape, but also due to shifting approaches to tourism. One of the effective ways to continue that pace is by improving existing places and providing new, innovative events that entice international and local visitors.
Kaohsiung Wonderland, which took place between Jan. 25 and Feb. 16 at Kaohsiung Pier (高雄港), had huge balloons with anime-inspired designs which went viral on social media, despite little government support. The festival demonstrated the potential of artsy, highly visual attractions in generating strong tourism interest at minimal promotional cost. Taiwan could host innovative, themed events without much additional cost and use social media to drive exposure.
International cultural festivals in Taipei have also been successful in drawing people. The annual Taiwan Lantern Festival has found a permanent place in the nation’s calendar. Those events strengthen the cultural identity of Taiwan, while enticing people from abroad. However, the government should also look beyond bringing in tourists and at how events could promote small businesses and local entrepreneurs.
A key area for improvement is integrating small enterprises into Taiwan’s event economy. Major events such as festivals and exhibitions tend to prefer established foreign brands and tourism operators, making it difficult for smaller enterprises to be noticed. To reverse that trend, the government could engage with small enterprises by providing free or subsidized vendor booths for big events.
In music and cultural festivals, local food businesses and craft vendors could be given priority booth spaces to sell their products. In themed events, such as Kaohsiung Wonderland, small businesses handling anime products, cosplay merchandise, or Taiwanese-Japanese fusion foods could be accommodated rent-free. Mass tourist events could also source event materials, such as decorations, foods and souvenirs, directly from domestic craft workers and small-scale producers so a portion of event spending could enter the local economy.
By incorporating small enterprises into mass-tourism activities, Taiwan could redistribute economic benefits more evenly so wealth disparity would be lessened without negatively affecting from local businesses. That does not require a lot of money; just a shift in event organization to prioritize local participation.
Rotating seasonal and thematic events is another way spaces could be maximized. Rather than stand-alone festivals, Taiwan could use the same venues for different types of events throughout the year. That would ensure repeat tourist visits from locals and foreign visitors, so tourism could be an economic force that is more stable and predictable.
Taiwan has already proven that it can draw in foreign visitors through big events and cultural attractions. To achieve maximum economic value from tourism, the government needs to do more than just hold events — it needs to involve local enterprises, maximize the use of venues throughout the year and encourage social media-driven organic growth.
Instead of relying on new infrastructure or expensive campaigns, Taiwan could renovate districts to appeal to different audiences at different times of the year. By nurturing small businesses during tourism events, the country could generate sustainable development and ensure that the benefits of a flourishing tourism sector filter down to a greater segment of society.
Ezkiel Tjandra is a student in the Department of International Affairs at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages.
Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on April 9 said that the first group of Indian workers could arrive as early as this year as part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the India Taipei Association. Signed in February 2024, the MOU stipulates that Taipei would decide the number of migrant workers and which industries would employ them, while New Delhi would manage recruitment and training. Employment would be governed by the laws of both countries. Months after its signing, the two sides agreed that 1,000 migrant workers from India would
On March 31, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released declassified diplomatic records from 1995 that drew wide domestic media attention. One revelation stood out: North Korea had once raised the possibility of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In a meeting with visiting Chinese officials in May 1995, as then-Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) prepared for a visit to South Korea, North Korean officials objected to Beijing’s growing ties with Seoul and raised Taiwan directly. According to the newly released records, North Korean officials asked why Pyongyang should refrain from developing relations with Taiwan while China and South Korea were expanding high-level
Japan’s imminent easing of arms export rules has sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, Reuters reporting found, as US President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies, and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain US weapons supplies. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country’s military industrial base. Her government would formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials told Reuters. Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World War II, Japan spends enough on its own
When 17,000 troops from the US, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand spread across the Philippine archipelago for the Balikatan military exercise, running from tomorrow through May 8, the official language would be about interoperability, readiness and regional peace. However, the strategic subtext is becoming harder to ignore: The exercises are increasingly about the military geography around Taiwan. Balikatan has always carried political weight. This year, however, the exercise looks different in ways that matter not only to Manila and Washington, but also to Taipei. What began in 2023 as a shift toward a more serious deterrence posture
RSS