Taiwan Tourism Administration and Taiwan Visitors Association led a delegation to promote tourism in the Philippines from 30 January to 5 February 2024. During their stay, the delegation held 2 Taiwan Tourism Workshops, one at Clark SMX Convention Center (on 31 January) and the other at Seda Manila Bay in Manila (on 1 February), and participated in the 31st TravelTour Expo (TTE) 2024.
While Ambassador Wallace Minn-Gan Chow, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office(TECO) in the Philippines, attended the workshop in Manila, Minister Dustin Teng-shi Yang, Deputy Representative of TECO, attended the one in Clark. They noted that, from January to November 2023, there were over 309,000 Filipino travelers visiting Taiwan, which increased by nearly 550% compared to the same period in 2022. This not only proves the robust tourism recovery in post-pandemic era, but also shows that Taiwan is an attractive destination to Filipino friends.
Minister Yang also attended the opening event of the Taiwan Pavilion of TTE on 2 February. The exhibition theme this year revolves around the globally popular bubble tea, with the incorporation of attractions such as the Sun Moon Lake cycling route, Chimei Museum in Tainan, Kaohsiung Music Center, and the Dome of Light at Formosa Boulevard Station to promote new attractions in the central and southern regions of Taiwan to Filipino tourists and to introduce them to the diverse landscape of Taiwan's tourism resources outside the most visited regions of Taipei.
The newly appointed Taiwan Tourism Ambassadors Gabbi Garcia and Khalil Ramos were invited to the opening event of the Taiwan Pavilion, sharing their experiences of traveling to Taiwan and the charm of Taiwanese cuisine. During the exhibition from 2 to 4 February, the Taiwan Pavilion arranged various exciting activities including the Taiwanese dance group, Fun To Art, to showcase the essence of Taiwan through dance performances, a DIY Pineapple Cake workshop by Vigor KoBo, Hakka-style floral lantern and tote bag DIY activities, traditional Taiwanese egg cake tasting, and the adorable OhBear nail art painting event, making Taiwan Pavilion the “Most Interesting Booth” at 2024 TTE.