Tourism authorities in the US, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia jointly launched a tourism campaign in Taiwan yesterday to recruit a Taiwanese “super blogger” to travel to an island in each nation or region free of charge.
In return, the blogger is required to write five travel stories and record a three-minute video clip about the tour after returning to Taiwan.
The four islands featured in the campaign are Tinian of the Northern Mariana Islands, Koh Chang in Thailand, Coron Island in the Philippines and Tioman Island in Malaysia.
The chosen blogger would spend five days traveling on each island, with the value of the entire trip estimated at more than NT$25,000, the organizer said.
It is the second time the organizer has held the contest to select a travel blogger.
To enter the contest, one must be a Taiwanese citizen who is at least 18 years old. Applicants must produce a 30-second video clip and upload it to YouTube, in which they should talk about themselves, their most significant travel experiences and their dreams.
A committee formed by foreign service officials is to choose what it considers to be the 12 most creative video presentations, with netizens then voting for their favorite.
Those making the top five are to be entered into the final competition.
Contenders in the final competition are to be further evaluated through talent shows and a travel knowledge quiz.
Coron Island is famous for its karst landscape, lagoons and white-sand beaches.
Located 6km south of Saipan — the Northern Marianas’ main island, the seat of government and hub of the local economy — Tinian is known to be the departure point for two bombers that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. The island is one of the few places on Earth where people can find star sands.
Tioman Island attracts many scuba-divers as well as tourists who enjoy snorkeling. The island has become a vacation spot because of its many resorts.
Koh Chang, which translates as “elephant island,” is a well-preserved national park that gains its name because of its shape. In addition to islands mountains and beaches, visitors can also enjoy cycling, hiking and snorkeling.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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