International Travelers Visit Hakka Villages: Romantic Taiwan Highway 3 Art Season Promoted at Japan Travel Fair

To attract international travelers to visit Hakka villages and small towns, the Hakka Affairs Council specifically targeted the Japanese market, which has a high revisit rate and has shown positive growth in visitor numbers to Taiwan year after year, by participating in the Tourism Expo Japan travel fair. This fair is also being held in Osaka for the first time this year, with promotion aimed at the Kansai region, Japan's second-largest population market. According to statistics, the number of Japanese visitors to Taiwan has continued to rise each year, reaching 1.969 million arrivals in 2018. Japanese travelers have a high favorable impression of Taiwan and visit repeatedly, with independent travelers accounting for 80%, and visitors to Taiwan already making up 10% of Japan's total outbound travelers, making it a market with great potential.

The Hakka Affairs Council's promotion this time centers on the Romantic Taiwan Highway 3 Art Season, hoping to use the works of curators and artists to attract Japanese visitors to explore the treasures of Hakka villages, learn about Hakka stories, and experience local culture. The Hakka Affairs Council stated that in order to promote Hakka culture, large-scale art seasons, and international tourism, it is cooperating with the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in organizing a delegation to Nagoya, Osaka, and other locations in Japan for promotion. The travel fair activities are being held from October 24 to 27 at INTEX Osaka, and the delegation will also attend travel trade meetings in Nagoya and Osaka to negotiate with local tourism operators and recommend the Romantic Taiwan Highway 3 Art Season series of events.

The Taiwan Romantic Highway 3 specialty booth will combine the Hakka Village Joint Tourism Consultation Platform and "Slow Chat Hakka Village" traditional paper umbrella photo experience, inviting Japanese buyers and consumers to learn about and experience Hakka culture. Japanese visitors will also be encouraged to take photos with their mobile phones and upload and share them on the dedicated Facebook fan page "Taiwan Highway 3 Romantic Boulevard" to receive gifts such as Hakka blue felt shopping bags. Japanese travelers are welcome to visit the themed exhibition area (Booth No.: Hall 4 G25 Taiwan Pavilion). Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy together!