First Taiwan Tourism office opens in Richmond, BC

A new tourism promotions and information centre for Taiwan is the first in Canada and will operate as the first in North America. There is no Taiwan Tourism Information Centre in the U.S. to date, although one is in the works for an opening in Seattle next fall.

The new Taiwan Tourism Information Centre (TTIC) was introduced to BC-based travel advisors and tour operators at a glitzy gala dinner event near Vancouver recently.

A total of 10 information centres for Taiwan will be opened in different cities around the world, according to plans by the Taiwan Tourism Administration. The Vancouver location is the fourth centre so far, after Paris, Jakarta and Mumbai.

Located in Richmond, just south of Vancouver, the centre’s efforts will target both the B-to-B and B-to-C sectors, says the tourism administration. It will actively engage with travel retailers and wholesalers through partnerships and training programs, but will also reach out to consumers directly through campaigns like the currently ongoing “Catch the Waves of Wonder” promotion, said deputy director general Trust Lin of the Taiwan Tourism Administration.

“By doing both, we can build strong trade relationships while also inspiring direct interest in Taiwan among Canadian travellers,” said Lin, who had flown from Taiwan to attend the gala.

The dinner event, complete with a welcoming ceremony and Chinese lion dancers, was also attended by Angel Liu, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver and Sylvia Lee, director of the San Francisco Taiwan Tourism Office.

“The 2024-2025 period is critical for revitalizing Taiwan’s tourism industry post-pandemic,” said Lin. “The Vancouver office is strategically positioned to drive Taiwan’s tourism growth in North America.”

The Vancouver office will offer support in both Chinese and English, ensuring accessible and customized travel resources for Canadian visitors to Taiwan. By appointment, the office will provide comprehensive consultations, promotional materials and multimedia resources about Taiwan. It will also play a vital role in enhancing cooperation between Taiwanese and Canadian travel agencies, says the administration.

It has emphasized the growing importance of the Canadian market, setting a goal of 200,000 visitors from Canada annually. Arrivals numbers this year are on track to exceed the number of Canadians who visited Taiwan in 2023.

Taiwan welcomed 92,404 Canadian travellers in 2023, while 63,624 Canadian arrived there from January to July of 2024. Last year, Canadian visitations returned to 70% of pre-pandemic levels, and Canada holds immense potential for tourism development, say the tourism officials.

The new information centre is located near the Richmond-Brighouse SkyTrain station and the Richmond Centre Shopping Mall in Richmond, just south of the Vancouver city limits. The info centre (6081 No. 3 Road) will have a small team managed by the San Francisco office of the Taiwan Tourism Administration.

The information centre will work with the airlines, travel agents and local media to keep Canadians informed about the latest special offers and travel packages to Taiwan. Prospective travellers will be able to get advice for building their itineraries and to collect promotional materials and literature by the tour operators that sell Taiwan. The centre will also serve as a first stop for travel trade and media to get their Taiwan-related information.

The TTIC has hit the ground running with its latest “Taiwan Waves of Wonder” advertising campaign, done in collaboration with EVA Air and China Airlines, Taiwan’s two national airlines. The advertising graphics, featuring eye-grabbing Taiwan landscapes, have been applied to Vancouver’s rapid transit SkyTrain cars and posted at SkyTrain stations. Residents are encouraged to capture images of the campaign for a chance to win prizes, including round-trip tickets to Taiwan.

In addition, a variety of promotions are now in operation. These include a Taiwan “Lucky Draw,” offering NT$5,000 (C$210) in spending money, a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on some high-speed rail tickets and discounted “Taiwan Pass” tickets that combine high-speed rail, MRT and Taiwan Tourist Shuttle services. The Administration also offers half-day airport transit tours to nearby tourism sites.

Also, workshops will be offered both locally in Vancouver and elsewhere in Canada, with a mix of in-person and virtual sessions. The focus will be on the travel trade and media, but there are also plans to host consumer-oriented workshops at exhibitions and activation events that introduce Taiwanese culture and travel experiences. Several of these workshops will be held annually.

Go to www.taiwan.net.tw for more.