SINGAPORE outbound travel to Taiwan is flourishing, thanks in part to the proliferation of media programmes and advertising showcasing Taiwan’s historical and cultural treasures, as well as its leisure offerings.
Closer trading and bilateral ties, as well as increased air links, have also played an integral role in boosting outbound traffic.
Vanessa Shih, head, Taiwan Representative Office in Singapore, speaking at a press conference for TransAsia Airways recently, said that the two countries “shared a conviction to open skies”.
This was demonstrated earlier this year, when Singapore and Taiwan moved towards establishing a bilateral open skies policy that would remove capacity limits for flights between the two countries (TTG Asia e-Daily, February 18).
TransAsia Airways was the latest carrier to leverage on this newly-forged pact when it launched a daily service between Taipei and Singapore last week (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 5).
The Taiwan Visitors Association and the Taiwan Representative Office in Singapore have various marketing initiatives to support the six airlines now plying the Singapore-Taipei route. A new marketing programme that rewards every two travellers whose combined age reaches 100 with a gift of US$100, will be launched soon.
According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, some 241,334 Singaporeans visited Taiwan last year, an increase of 24 per cent over 2009. From January to April this year, the number of Singapore visitors to Taiwan grew 22 per cent – the largest growth among foreign arrivals.
Shih said the Taiwanese NTO was targeting a 20 per cent increase in Singapore arrivals by year-end.
