Taiwan Aims to Woo Muslim Travellers from Southeast Asia

As Chinese tourists numbers fall due to deteriorating relations with China, Taiwan is now seeking to cast its net on the south – including Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. In particular, Taiwan has its eyes set on Muslim travellers such as those from Malaysia and Indonesia.

In 2017, Taiwan received 30% more tourists from Southeast Asia, while the number of tourists from China dropped by one-fifth. Just last year, Taiwan has also actively wooed tourists from the Muslim-majority Gulf countries.

The Muslim travel market is one that is brimming with potential for growth and countries that take advantage of this trend is set to win down the road.

To attract more Muslim travellers to the country, Taiwan has been at work building a Muslim-friendly environment – such as issuing certs to restaurants that serve Halal food, encouraging hotels to include the Qibla (an arrow pointing to Mecca) in their rooms, and also increasing the number of prayer facilities in various establishments.

Through continuous efforts, the impact has already be felt by Muslim travellers in Taiwan. Even though Muslims make up less than 2% of Taiwan’s populations, many Muslim travellers have remarked how easy it was for them to travel in the country.

A wealth of information can be found when travellers search for information on Halal food or Muslim-friendly hotels in Taiwan, and this has no doubt spurred Muslim travellers to make that Taiwan trip a reality. On top of that easing travel for this group of people, such initiatives also make Muslim travellers feel safe and welcome in the country.

Also read: 7-Day Muslim-Friendly Itinerary For Your First Trip to Taiwan