TAIPEI, TAIWAN--(Marketwired - May 29, 2013) - To attract more travelers from Korea to come to Taipei for self-travel, the Taipei City Government's Department of Information and Tourism (DOIT) is attending KOTFA 2013 (the Korea World Travel Fair), and is staging a pre-show press conference in Seoul on May 29. The city government has brought together airlines, tour operators, and operators of famed sightseeing attractions to develop the FUN TAIPEI program of preferential self-travel offers, aimed at the Korean tourist. There are numerous self-travel packages for stays in Taipei of 2 to 4 days, with discounts of 40% and more. In addition, a "Fans Starchaser Tour" has been created, and lucky friends have a chance to attend Berlin Chen's big FUN PARTY in August, where fans will get to meet the star in person (limited to 30 people).
To actively stimulate the Korean tourist market, DOIT has worked with 17 enterprises to develop the FUN TAIPEI program of self-travel preferential packages. These include China Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and such well-known Korean tourism-industry enterprises as Tourbaksa Seoul, Tourbaksa Busan, Naeil Tour, Parangb, and Yahae Tour (all enterprises are listed on the 2013funtaipei.com website). The most favorable offer is the 2-day, 1-night package for two people traveling together, available for just KRW 214,000 per person. There are also a number of variations of the 3-day, 2-night self-travel package, enabling Korean friends to choose a stay at a hot-spring hotel or a well-known international 5-star hotel. These range from KRW 399,000 to KRW 700,000 per person, for two persons traveling together. A 4-day, 3-night offer by a Taipei international 5-star hotel gives travelers 1 free night for 2 paid nights; the cost is just KRW 481,000 per person for two people traveling together. These packages present Korean friends with substantial savings on travel costs, and will attract more Korean tourists to Taipei for sightseeing.
In addition to the self-travel preferential packages, DOIT has created the attractive, exquisitely designed FUN TAIPEI BOX to give to Korean friends who book Taipei self-travel outings. The gift box brims with pleasant discount-offer surprises that have a total value of KRW 2,419,600 and more, created by the Taipei City Government working together with more than 116 renowned local enterprises, including Wowprime, Breeze Taipei Station, Taipei EYE, department stores, hotels, and gift & souvenir stores. Other must-mention attractions are the scratch cards specially designed for this year, which can be bought and played on the spot, and the FUN TAIPEI BOX scratch-card lottery draw, which buyers can immediately enter upon purchasing a Taipei self-travel package, and which has 22 prizes with a total value exceeding KRW 11,167,385. The top prize is a "Taipei 2-Day, 1-Night Self-Travel Package" (with airline tickets and accommodations for one person). Also inside the gift box is information on tour itineraries with three different themes custom-tailored for Korean travelers, and a one-day Taipei Pass (giving unlimited rides for 24 hours on the Taipei Metro and public-bus systems). These will make visitors' Taipei explorations even more convenient and relaxing, and make their play and purchasing even more enjoyable.
As part of its effort to make Taipei the first choice for self-travel among Korean tourists, the Taipei City Government team held a pre-KOTFA press conference today (May 29) at Seoul's Lotte Hotel. A special treat was the presence of the Korean star Ku Hye Sun, best known for her role in the Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, a remake of the hit Taiwan series Meteor Garden, which gave her tremendous popularity throughout Asia. She teamed up with Deputy Commissioner Chiu Peng-Hsin of the Department of Information and Tourism in a demonstration on how to make Taipei's most iconic gift item -- pineapple cakes! The freshly baked cakes gave off a rich pineapple aroma, and the distinguished guests on hand quickly learned why they are Taipei's favorite gift choice, happily munching their way through the warm, flaky outer shells. Ku told everyone on hand about a period of time she once spent in Taipei while shooting a television drama, and how she spent all her spare time happily exploring Taipei's temples and myriad distinctive cultural-creative shops. Mentioning Longshan Temple, she talked about how impressed she was by the architectural art and the deep devotion of the worshipers, and also talked about buying various hand-crafted decorative items that proved to be a big hit with the friends she gave them to back home. Asked by the moderator what her strongest memories of Taipei are today, without hesitation Ku responded that she missed the city's xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings) and pearl milk tea, saying that each day the members of her production crew would bring pearl milk tea to their shooting locations, or bring some of the actors out after shooting was finished for a xiaolongbao feast. Deputy Commissioner Chiu recommended that during Ku's next Taipei stay a great way to relieve the stress of the workday was a soothing soak in the Beitou hot-spring resort area.
Another highlight of the press conference was the sparkling presence of Berlin Chen, famed "Brother Da-Ren" from the hit Taiwan series In Time With You, who lent his weight to the promotion of Taipei with a special video welcoming all friends from Korea to visit the city he enjoys so much. Given Chen's great popularity in Korea, one of the packages in DOIT's program of preferential self-travel offers is a special 3-day, 2-night Fans Starchaser Tour, in which purchasers have a chance to receive a limited-edition FUN TAIPEI BOX with the star's autograph and a chance to meet him on August 26 at a Taipei fan meeting. This unique package is only on offer at KOTFA, and is limited to 30 people, so all Korean fans of Berlin Chen will need to act quickly so they don't miss out! For full details on the program and related events, visit 2013funtaipei.com.
Contact Information:
Contact person
Lee Yi-Hsuan
Tourism Development Division, Department of Information and Tourism
Taipei City Government
Tel: +886-2-2720-8889 ext. 3370
