Malaysian singer and actress Nabila Razali has been chosen as Taiwan’s tourism ambassador for Muslim-majority nations this year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday.
Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Chou Ting-chang (周廷彰) told a news conference in Taipei that 200,000 Malaysian tourists visited Taiwan from January to May, a 20 percent increase over the same period last year.
About 70 percent of the population in Malaysia is Muslim, which is also an important tourism market targeted by the administration, Chou said.
Photo: CNA
According to this year’s Global Muslim Tourism Index published by Mastercard and Crescent Rating, Taiwan is the third-best travel destination among nations not part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Chou said, adding that with more than 400 restaurants and hotels having obtained halal certification, Taiwan is an attractive destination.
Tourism officials in 2018 launched a campaign called “Salam Taiwan,” or “Taiwan welcomes you,” to promote Taiwan as a tourist destination for Muslims.
“The latest promotional video uses the slogan ‘Jom Taiwan,’ which means ‘Come to Taiwan,’” Chou said. “Razali’s popularity in Malaysia is comparable to that of Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai (蔡依林). With her serving as our tourism ambassador, we hope to call on more Malaysian Muslims to travel to Taiwan.”
Razali told the news conference that many places in Taiwan are suitable for relaxation or for family travel.
The travel destinations that would make her want to visit Taiwan again are Sun Moon Lake, Bamboo Lake on Yangmingshan, Tainan’s Sicao Tunnel and Houbi Lake in Kenting National Park, she said.
They are ideal locations for taking pictures, she said, adding that her favorite food and drink are fried chicken and bubble tea.
The agency said it recommends that Muslim tourists come to Taiwan to experience the hot springs in winter and eat halal hot pot in Taichung.
Meanwhile, the agency said it plans to increase incentives for tourists from Thailand, Singapore, India, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations, such as by launching promotional offers allowing them to buy four tickets for the price of three.
The incentives could be announced next month, it said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
RSS