Through the joint efforts and promotion by Taichung’s Tourism and Travel Bureau and Korean Air, a daily flight on the Seoul Incheon-Taichung route is available starting October 27. This route features the new A321neo aircraft, offering a full-service experience with two cabin classes. It has larger personal screens and more spacious luggage storage, enhancing the travel quality for those entering and leaving Taichung. To further attract Korean tourists, a special offer is now available: until March 31 next year, Korean Air passengers can receive discounts at participating stores by showing a boarding pass within one week.

Director Chen Mei-hsiu of the Tourism and Travel Bureau noted that South Korea has long been a key market for Taichung. According to the Tourism Administration of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, about 620,000 South Korean tourists entered Taiwan between January and August 2024, making them the third-largest group of travelers. Since scenes filmed in Taichung by the hosts of the popular Korean TV show I Live Alone aired in January this year, many South Korean tourists have come to Taichung as fans of the show. In April, Taichung’s Tourism and Travel Bureau organized a promotional event in South Korea and marketed Taichung in the in-flight magazine, gaining enthusiastic responses from Korean travelers. As a result, several Korean airlines are increasingly interested in the Taichung and central Taiwan market, with multiple new routes to Taichung now available.

Director Chen added that, in an effort to capture the South Korean market, Taichung is not only collaborating with Korean Air on the Boarding Pass for Discounts event but is also featured in the airline's in-flight magazine. Through Korean Air's vast membership base of millions, they hope to attract more travelers to Taichung. Looking ahead, they aim to take advantage of Korean Air’s extensive routes to North America, Europe, and other regions to encourage travelers to transit through Incheon on their way to Taichung, as well as make travel planning easier for both local travel agencies and residents of central Taiwan.

The Tourism and Travel Bureau added that the Boarding Pass for Discounts event, valid until March 31 next year, offers various discounts for food, accommodations, travel, shopping, and transportation. Participating businesses include Golden Tulip Zhong Xin Hotel, which offers a complimentary welcome snack per room; Alice International Hotel, which offers exclusive booking discounts; Dongshih Forest Garden, which offers exclusive discounts on tickets or rooms, as well as an aiyu jelly DIY experience with accommodations; National Museum of Natural Science, which offers ticket discounts; Fu Din Wang Braised Pork Knuckle, which offers free minced pork rice with purchases; Kuang Hua Selectshop in the Taichung Station Railway Cultural Park, which offers a NT$69 discount on cold brew tea and tea eggs; EVER RICH Duty-Free Store at Taichung Airport, which offers a free gift with purchases; Hon Din Bakery, which offers free cookies for social media shares, as well as discounts on cookies; MITSUI OUTLET PARK Taichung Port, which offers a NT$100 voucher for a NT$2,000 purchase; Taiwan Sun Cake Museum, which offers a 10% discount on sun cakes or pineapple cakes; and TC Time Walk, which offers a free gift with a reserved tour.

Furthermore, foreign tourists holding a Korean Air boarding pass can enjoy exclusive deals, including a 42% discount on stays at Fullon Hotel and T11 Hotel &T12 Hotel at Lihpao Resort, a buy-one-get-one-free offer for tickets to Lihpao Resort or Sky Dream Ferris Wheel, discounts at the Lihpao Outlet Mall, special rates for airport transfers or tours from Hwafu Travel Service, and a gift from Taiwan Tourist Shuttle at the Visitor Information Center in Taichung International Airport. For more information on these deals, tourists can contact the participating businesses directly.