The Tourism Bureau on Wednesday launched an initiative to attract older tourists to Taiwan, as the nation looks ahead to opening its borders after nearly three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Golden Years” brand seeks to draw people aged 60 or older, starting with four to eight itineraries catered to senior travelers, the bureau told a forum on senior tourism.
Seniors are an important tourism demographic for Taiwan, with potential annual income of NT$40 billion (US$1.32 billion), Tourism Bureau Deputy Director-General Trust Lin (林信任) said.
Photo: CNA
Since 2015, the bureau has been building out accessibility infrastructure, and offering subsidies and other measures in the hopes of making Taiwan an attractive destination for senior travelers from around the world, Lin said.
The “Golden Years” brand is to focus on three main themes — ecology, culture and healthy living, Lin said.
It is also to focus on the nation’s main international travel destinations in the hopes of expanding to new markets, while also providing senior tourists a new travel experience, he said.
Tour packages have also become more creative since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lin said.
As an example, he cited the more than 2,000 packages he saw at the Taipei Tourism Exposition last week, compared with the 200 on offer at previous editions of the expo.
As many young people are starting businesses back in their hometowns, Taiwan is ready and able to welcome back tourists once the borders reopen, he said.
The nation must also be prepared to fill the gap left by domestic tourists once outbound travel restarts, he added.
As more than 20 percent of senior travelers prefer to travel in tour groups, they present a prime opportunity to fill the gap, Lin said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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