Keelung, Taiwan is stepping up efforts to attract Japanese visitors, leveraging the city’s natural, cultural and culinary assets as well as the island’s proximity and listing in a Japan campaign to stimulate outbound travel.
Taiwan was among 24 countries and regions selected as priority markets in a project run by the Japan Tourism Agency and Japan Association of Travel Agents to encourage Japanese people to make overseas trips this fiscal year. In addition to a new website and social media campaigns, tourism bureaus in the selected markets are collaborating to boost their markets’ appeal to Japanese travellers.
Now, the Keelung City Government says its goal is “to make Keelung a new choice for Japanese tourists visiting Taiwan”.
At Tourism Expo Japan, in late October, representatives of the coastal city north of Taipei promoted its scenery, food and culture through videos, print materials and interactive games.
“We hope to introduce Keelung, a mountainous harbour city with the best cruise ship homeport in Asia, to the Japan public and let them know about Keelung’s rich tourism resources and splendid nature,” said a city government representative.
Scenic attractions include the multi-coloured houses along the harbour at Zhengbin Fishing Port; Waimushan Seaside Scenic Area, which was selected as one of the Top 10 Attractive Waters in Taiwan; and Heping Island Park, which is rated as having one of the 21 most beautiful sunrise scenes in the world.
Visitors to the booth received wood pulp souvenirs of some of Keelung’s popular culinary dishes, another asset that the city plans to publicise to boost arrivals from Japan.
“For Japan foodies who love Taiwanese food, a visit to Keelung’s Miaokou Night Market can cover practically almost all of Taiwan’s classic culinary delights, offering a rich travel experience for those who visit Keelung,” said the city government representative.
