Director of Taiwan Tourism-New York Shares Tourism Triumphs

Dr. Michael Cheung, director of the New York Office of Taiwan Tourism, is a charming, smart, and approachable man. During his eight-year tenure at the New York Office, Taiwan’s tourism reflected several major achievements. A review of his record showed that his international marketing concepts and hands-on style have achieved great results.

As the global economic outlook remains gloomy, Dr. Cheung’s unconventional approaches stand out. In 2002, 2.5 million tourists visited Taiwan. This increased to 4.6 million in 2009 and is expected to exceed 5.2 million in 2010.

The number of tourists doubled in the last decade despite the SARS epidemic in 2003 and the advent of the global economic crisis in 2007.

2002: Both a Challenge and an Opportunity

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, tourism suffered. Six months later, in March 2002, Dr. Cheung arrived in New York to implement his strategy for promoting tourism in Taiwan. He viewed it as both a challenge and an opportunity.

In 2002, the Republic of China (Taiwan) government issued a plan to double the number of tourists to the country. Cheung called it a change of historical significance. Before then, Taiwan was considered a haven for manufacturing and industrial enterprise. Little was known about its cultural and natural attractions.

However, the ambitious plan was set back due to the SARS epidemic that hit most of Asia, and was affected by the Iraq War. From 2002 to 2003, the number of American tourists traveling to Taiwan dropped by 27.7 percent.

Cheung said that, faced with such a difficult environment, the Tourism Office began a campaign around the theme “Taiwan: Touch Your Heart.” For the first time, Taiwan swept the world with an international marketing campaign.

The results were outstanding. In 2004, the number of American tourists increased to 380,000—a 40.3 percent jump from 2003.

Another obstacle was the global economic crisis that began in 2007. In 2007, 397,950 Americans visited Taiwan. However, the number declined in 2008 and 2009.

In 2008 and 2009, the Tourism Office created another marketing campaign for Taiwan Tourism Year. The goal was to turn Taiwan into a tourist destination, not just a place to visit family and friends. It would be a place for relaxation and vacations.

As Taiwan’s fame increased, 2010 proved to be an exciting year. From January to July alone, nearly 240,000 Americans visited Taiwan—a 12.77 percent increase from the same time last year.

The number of annual American visitors is conservatively estimated to be 400,000, which would be a new record. Globally, an estimated 5.2 million people are expected to visit Taiwan in 2010.

Comprehensive Marketing Promotes Taiwan Tourism

Dr. Cheung said that, since 2004, they have adopted a comprehensive marketing campaign. A visit to Taiwan is promoted as a consumer product in the United States.

They invited celebrities to visit Taiwan, attended tourism exhibitions in the United States, and visited 20 states in the U.S. and six provinces in Canada. They engaged in face-to-face communication with the consumers.

Tourism officials attended a New York Times tourism exhibit, adventure tourism exhibits, and other kinds of related shows. They promoted different travel plans and provided professional travel advice.