Bureau of Foreign Trade Invites Foreign MICE Media on Familiarity Tour to Nurture International Relations
To bolster Taiwan’s image as the best MICE destination, the Taiwan MICE Advancement Program under the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) has been hosting international familiarity tours (fam tours) twice yearly for the past four years. Itineraries that conform closely to what media professionals need for their reports are planned according to current conditions and trends. For example, one five-day four-night fam tour that took place from April 23rd to 27th this year encompassed special MICE locations of great interest to the media such as five-star hotels that receive MICE groups, incentive travel events, and so on. The wealth of diversity in the itinerary left a lasting impression on members of the international media. They all said that they had experienced Taiwan like they never had before and voiced the opinion that Taiwan had enormous potential as an incentive travel and international MICE host destination.

International Media Marvel at the Creativity of Incentive Travel Events
The incentive travel itineraries planned this time included venues for both indoor and outdoor team-building events in Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Yilan County. What drew the most compliments from the media was the tour package jointly launched by Volando Urai Spring SPA Resort and Miling’an Musical Theater. In the morning, the guests experienced a traditional Atayal hunting ceremony and wilderness survival skills. The group learned more about how the aboriginal people use plants in the mountain forest to create “living utensils” and how different tribe members cooperate in gathering firewood, starting fires, and cooking meals. In the evening, the group left the mountains to enjoy a performance by Miling’an Musical Theater at the hotel. The members of the media were thrilled with how perfectly the stage merged with the lake scenery as the performers sang beautiful ancient songs.
The media was intrigued by a martial arts course designed by XueXue Institute. This was followed by a widely-recommended culinary course in the current Taiwanese incentive travel itinerary. Since Taipei is renowned as a gourmet capital, gourmet reviewer Hu Tien-lan was especially invited to give a class on Taiwanese spring rolls and dumplings to the group. She also introduced the relationship between Taiwanese spring rolls and Tomb Sweeping Day, which occurs in April, going on to explain the historical origin of this exquisite dish while introducing the combination and application of various ingredients so that everyone is able to make this tasty, healthy dish at home.
Many intriguing events, experiences and sites in Yilan, such as tea picking and a visit to the National Center for Traditional Arts, were introduced. Dinner was arranged at the locally most popular “no menu” restaurant “Formosa Pearl,” and the media expressed deep approval for the culinary concepts of “from place of origin to the dining table” and “dining on seasonal ingredients.” They used certain phrases that express highest praise in European cuisine such as “Super!” and “C’est bon!” to some of the night’s special dishes.

Specialty Venues and 5-Star Hotels to Receive MICE Groups
As members of the international media often inquire about special venues in Taipei City and the five-star hotels that receive international MICE groups, the fam tour this time also arranged for a visit to Songshan Cultural & Creative Park. The area’s historical evolution was introduced, as well as how it made the transition to be re-utilized into a space for cultural creativity and a the venue for events like the 2011 IDA Congress Taipei. In one corner of the park, one member of the media discovered that the old chimney preserved from the original tobacco factory formed an interesting contrast with the Taipei 101 behind it, symbolizing Taipei’s many layers of culture.

As for the five-star hotels, the group was brought and introduced to The Grand Formosa Regent, W Hotel, and Palais de Chine Hotel, each with its own unique characteristics. This gave members of the media a better understanding of how various venues and design styles can be selected for MICE events held in Taipei City to suit the different needs of each event. This tour served to further showcase Taiwan’s MICE-related venues and resources.

MEET TAIWAN Project Makes Outstanding Achievements in International Marketing
Now in its fourth year, the media fam tour has reached a total of approximately NT$6 million in media reporting value, with an exposure rate of an estimated 600,000 people, based on a comparison with hosting benefits generated from the three years before the fam tours were started. At the same