Taichung City Government’s “Arrive in Taichung and Depart from Taichung” policy has generated tourism benefits, not only has the number of Asian and international flights increased in Taichung International Airport, tour operators in the city are also forging ties with foreign cities. In particular, tourism traffic between Vietnam and Taichung has increased significantly. Tourism and Travel Bureau of Taichung City also visited Vietnam in February this year to promote tourism, while Vietnamese media “VnExpress” also featured reports on Taichung City’s tourist destinations and gourmet food. Furthermore, 8 most popular attractions were highlighted and recommended to the Vietnamese public, encouraging them to visit Taichung.

According to Tourism and Travel Bureau of Taichung City, VnExpress’s recommendation includes Fengjia Night Market, praising it as the most prominent night market in Taichung that is always jam-packed with tourists. In addition, Lishan Scenic Area is a picturesque region in Taichung always attracting plenty of nature enthusiasts.

VnExpress showcased video about Wuling Farm Sakura Festival on its website, comparing it to that of Japan and the US. Furthermore, the media also introduced Le Mout in Taichung, commending it as one of the finest restaurants in Taiwan. Le Mout has been selected as one of the top 50 restaurants in Asia in 2016. In addition, other attractions such as the unique architectural design of National Taichung Theater, Gaomei Wetland – offering a commanding view of the ocean – as well as National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and Rainbow Village were also promoted to the people of Vietnam.

Tourism and Travel Bureau of Taichung City indicates that the “Arrive in Taichung and Depart from Taichung” tourism promotion policy is coupled with development of international flights. For instance, VietJet Air launched its inaugural flight between Taichung and Ho Chi Minh took place on January 15 this year, while Tigerair Taiwan’s first flight between Taichung and Macau took off on March 29, and Thai VietJet is scheduled to launch the direct flight between Taichung and Bangkok in July this years. Moreover, Mandarin Airlines is expected to increase its Taichung-Hanoi flight to 7 flights a week in October this year.

Meanwhile, the City Government is facilitating tour operators in Taichung City to forge friendly relationships with foreign cities. Last year, “Friendly Tourism Cooperation Agreement” was signed with 12 tour operators in Singapore and Malaysia, and Director-general of Tourism and Travel Bureau of Taichung City Sheng-shan Chen will led tour domestic operators to visit Vietnam this year to promote tourism. This is the first time that Taichung City has visited Vietnam to promote the “Arrive in Taichung and Depart from Taichung” policy.

According to statistics, approximately 30,000 Southeast Asian tourists traveled to Taichung, an increase of 12.75% compared to last year. Tourism and Travel Bureau of Taichung City is delighted to see international media coverage related to tourism in Taichung, in turn generating the “Taichung fever” tourism trend. The city government will continue to reinforce and integrate tourism resources, so that international travelers will be satisfied with the quality of tourism in the city.