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Taiwan promotes itself as layover for Richmond-to-Asia travellers

Tourists who have a layover in Taiwan for more than seven hours can book a free city tour
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Taiwan Tourism Administration hosts a tourist exhibition booth at Richmond Centre on Dec. 16 and 1. Photo submitted

After supporting an Asian travel expo in Richmond last month, Tourism Taiwan is hosting another event in Richmond next week with the same goal – promoting Taiwan as a tourism destination for people in Richmond and B.C.

Tourism Taiwan will be hosting a tourist exhibition booth at Richmond Centre (near The Body Shop) on Dec. 16 and 17 where visitors can learn about Taiwanese culture, join activities and games and have an opportunity to win a round-trip ticket from Vancouver to Taiwan.

“We hope this event will help local Canadians learn more about Taiwan's culture and introduce Taiwan's rich tourism content to them,” said Steve Chen, Canada country manager on behalf of Taiwan Tourism Administration.

“In the future, we will work closely with local tourism operators to launch a variety of itineraries so that tourists visiting Asia can add Taiwan to their destination list.”

Chen said Taiwan is not only a great travel destination, but an ideal place to visit during layover for those who visit other Asian destinations, such as China, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. 

Both China Airlines and EVA Air have flights departing from the Vancouver International Airport to Taiwan daily, and have flights to major cities in Asia, he added.

“The government of Taiwan has an initiative that if a tourist has a layover of more than seven hours in Taiwan, they can book a free half-day tour, which includes pick-up and drop-off services and a travel guide,” said Chen.

He added that the free half-day tour can be booked online at least 10-90 days in advance.

Tourism Taiwan has also launched a “lucky draw” campaign that’s valid till 2025. Tourists can register online before they board the flight, receive a QR code in their email and scan the QR code at the airport upon arrival, to win prizes including vouchers for hotels and pre-paid cards, according to Chen.

“We hope that when Canadians fly a long way to Asia, they can stop over in Taiwan and enjoy the beauty of Taiwan, making their trip more worthwhile,” said Chen.

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