Recognizing the vast population of India, the Tourism Administration of the Ministry of Transportation held a Taiwan tourism promotion event in New Delhi on February 5th, targeting the MICE market. The goal was to increase the number of Indian tourists visiting Taiwan by introducing Taiwan to travel industry professionals in India.

A Taiwan Tourism Promotion event was held last night at the Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi, attracting over 100 Indian travel industry professionals. Representatives from Taiwanese travel agencies such as Edison Tours, Apple Tour, and Shin Chun Travel engaged in exchanges with participants while Taiwan tourism videos were screened during the event.

Cheng Chih-Hung, Director of the Tourism Administration Singapore Office, informed Central News Agency (CNA) that India has become the world's most populous country globally, with an estimated population exceeding 1.4 billion. Given its favorable economic growth trajectory and potential for development, the Tourism Administration plans to establish a Taiwan Tourism Office in Mumbai, a major city in southern India, and will focus on the MICE (meetings, incentive travel, conventions, exhibitions) market as its primary development target.

Cheng Chih-Hung stated that prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, there were approximately 40,000 Indian visitors to Taiwan annually. Travel was temporarily suspended during the pandemic, but by the end of last year, it had recovered to about 70% of pre-pandemic levels. It is anticipated that this year, travel from India to Taiwan will fully recover to 100%.

Amid sustained economic growth, India has emerged as a leading nation for outbound travel in Asia in recent years. According to data from the Indian Ministry of Tourism, in the first seven months of 2023, 15.44 million people from India traveled abroad, marking a 37.9% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

However, the primary destinations for outbound travel from India include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the U.S.A., Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, among others, with relatively fewer Indian tourists visiting Taiwan.

Indian travel industry representative Shibani Ahuja Kapoor expressed to CNA that Taiwan boasts beautiful scenery and hospitality from its people. Visitors who have been to Taiwan often express a desire to return. However, she noted that currently most Indians are not familiar with Taiwan.

Kapoor believes that finding a way to promote Taiwan in India is key, and one approach is to invite travel industry professionals to get to know Taiwan better through familiarization trips. Only when these professionals themselves develop a fondness for Taiwan can they effectively promote Taiwan to Indian tourists.

 Source: CNA www.cna.com.tw/news/ahel/202402060148.aspx