Travel industry representatives from 60 countries are to attend the Taipei International Travel Fair this year, which is scheduled to begin on Friday.
The Taiwan Visitors’ Association, which organizes the annual travel fair, said it estimates more than 350,000 visitors would attend the four-day fair at the Taipei World Trade Center.
Association chairwoman Janice Lai (賴瑟珍) said the nation would welcome its 10 millionth international visitor this year, and that the number of Taiwanese traveling overseas is expected to exceed 12 million.
Lai said the theme for this year’s travel fair is “A hundred million people love traveling (千萬愛旅遊),” adding the expression in Chinese also means “Be sure to love traveling.”
Lai said that travel industry representatives from 60 countries would attend the fair, adding that they represent 950 agencies. Their presentations are to be displayed at 1,450 booths in the exhibition.
Aside from discounts for domestic and overseas tours offered by the travel agencies, Lai said visitors can also see about 50 cultural shows.
People interested in the latest industry trends can attend various forums at the fair, she said.
Meanwhile, tour operators from different countries can use 1,440 short meetings scheduled throughout the fair to seek potential partners in other countries, she said.
The Council of Indigenous Peoples has 36 booths showcasing Aboriginal cultures, while the Council of Agriculture is promoting various farm tours.
Organizers have created a mobile phone application to help visitors navigate the booths at the fair. Visitors can also register to attend forums by scanning the QR code assigned to the forum.
Organizers said that people planning to travel to Hong Kong could find independent tours starting at NT$4,999, while those interested in spending the Lunar New Year holiday in Japan’s Hokkaido or Kansai areas could find tour fees reduced by as much as NT$5,000.
China Airlines is to offer round-trip tickets to Hong Kong for NT$3,188 (pre-tax) and round-trip tickets to Los Angeles or San Francisco starting at NT$18,888 (pre-tax).
Round-trip tickets to Okinawa, Osaka and Tokyo start at NT$5,888, NT$6,388 and NT$8,245 (pre-tax).
Organizers said that China Airlines, EVA Airways and All Nippon Airways would hold draws for free airline tickets to travel fair visitors, adding that travel industry representatives from the US are also to give away eight round-trip tickets.
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