TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Images promoting travel to Taiwan have appeared on double-decker buses, taxis, and mass rapid transit trains in Singapore as part of a campaign to lure more visitors from the Southeast Asian country, reports said Wednesday (April 24).
The start of the campaign, dubbed “Explore Taiwan,” also included newspaper ads and radio commercials, while coinciding with the organization of a Taiwan Travel Fair. The Singapore office of the Tourism Administration was responsible for the event, per CInring 2023, Taiwan recorded 460,000 visitors from Singapore, a level similar to 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore was the largest source of visitors from Southeast Asia, and the fifth largest in the world.
According to the National Immigration Agency (NIA), Taiwan welcomed 32,935 arrivals from Singapore in January, or 13% more than in January 2019. The frequency and reasonable cost of flights between the two countries played a part in Taiwan’s success, as well as most Singaporeans’ knowledge of Mandarin, the Tourism Administration said.
Interesting food and numerous festivals throughout the year also did their bit to attract visitors from Singapore, according to officials. Taiwan is often Singaporeans' first choice as a short-range overseas travel destination, and is also popular for repeat visits.