According to a hotel booking website's statistics, Taichung rose from 10th position to number 7 as one of the most popular travel destinations among Asians tourists during this Chinese New Year, eclipsing Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. In addition, Taichung also rose from 4th to 2nd as the most popular destination among Taiwanese tourists during this Chinese New Year, demonstrating Taichung's immense appeal as a tourist destination.
The latest survey conducted by Agoda was published in the April issue of GVM.

According to Tourism Office Director-General Hsiao-chi Lin, since Mayor Shiow-yen Lu came into office and announced measures including children under 12 years of age from across the world may attend the flora expo for free starting on January 1 this year, the policies have successfully attracted domestic and international tourists to visit the flora expo, achieving a total of 530,000 visitors over the 8-day Chinese New Year holiday. Furthermore, the enchanting appeal of Mitsui Outlet Park, Gaomei Wetland, National Taichung Theater, and Wuling Farm Cherry Blossom Festival also generated an influx of 7.7 million visitors to the Taichung region during the Chinese New Year, demonstrating Taichung's remarkable performance in promoting tourism.

Director General Lin commented that the Tourism Office organized the top 100 wedding photo shooting location voting event last year, inviting Janet, a renowned celebrity with one million followers to conduct a live broadcast at the flora expo. The Tourism Office also continues to visit tour operators in Hong Kong to strengthen Taichung's tourism marketing efforts and effectively elevate the city's travel-related buzz and reputation.

Director General Lin stated that Taichung will host the inaugural shopping festival from July 10 to August 18, with city-wide discounts as well as mansion and car giveaways. The event is set to generate tremendous buzz and attract tourists from domestic and abroad to visit Taichung. In particular, the Taiwan Lantern Festival will be staged in Taichung early next year, and it is expected to take Taichung's tourism to new heights, in turn generating billions of NT dollars of business opportunities.

According to the Tourism Office, successive tourism promotion campaigns will be designed for Taichung. More specifically, the Taichung City Spring Travel Package will be offered from May 1 to June 30, or until the travel subsidy is depleted in full, so the public is encouraged to seize this opportunity. Self-service travelers staying at a legal partnering accommodation facility from Sunday to Thursday will receive NT$500 subsidy per room, and each person may only be subsidized once. Moreover, in collaborating with the Taiwan Small Town Ramble, guests aged between 18 and 40 staying at Youth Hostel in Dongshi or Xinshe District are entitled to one additional subsidy.

In order to attract Taiwanese citizens to visit Taichung City, in addition to the abovementioned NT$500 accommodation subsidy, the City Hall has provided an extra bonus, where self-service travelers who have successfully registered for accommodation stand a chance to win fantastic prizes such as electric scooters, electric bicycles, and home appliances by presenting their accommodation invoice or receipt.

The Tourism Office emphasized that Taichung City is the driving force behind developments in central Taiwan. With convenient transport to southern and northern Taiwan, Taichung's airport and seaport offers direct access to major Asian cities. By promoting tourism in central Taiwan tourism, Taichung is able to enhance the appeal of itineraries and attract more tourists from domestic and abroad. For next year's Taiwan Lantern Festival, Taichung will invite Changhua, Nantou, and Miaoli to co-host the event, allowing travelers to visit central Taiwan while attending the lantern festival, thereby generating an influx of visitors and business opportunities to various municipalities in central Taiwan.