Mountain Tourism as Primary Focus in ‘Holiday for Healing’

Taiwan launches three-phase opening plan, set to welcome international tourists in Q3; Chance to win special shopping vouchers while you ‘stay-at-home’.

En route Yushan Mountain Peak, the highest in Taiwan

Healing is not an overnight task, rather a slow process that involves both time and healing experiences. Towards this end, Taiwan offers a three-fold offering paving the way for hope, beauty and tourism.

Earlier in the year, Taiwan had globally announced 2020 to be the Year of Mountain Tourism. Encouraging this thread of planning, especially towards Holiday for Healing, Taiwan has over 275 mountain peaks standing at 3,000 metres or higher, the opportunities to immerse within nature and explore are immense, without congesting any particular peak. Experiences may vary depending on whether the holiday is for serious mountaineers or casual holiday makers seeking healing amidst beautiful sights and refreshing mountain air.

The Mountain Experiences

Strongly recommended is the Alishan National Scenic Area – a mountain resort and nature reserve with wilderness, waterfalls, tea plantations and more, located in Chiayi County in southern Taiwan. Even before you get to the final stretch of Alishan, the long scenic route by taking the forest railway to Fenqihu includes a three-hour ride through mountain tunnels and scenic bridges. A visit to Shoujhen Temple takes you to Taiwan’s highest elevation temple and Alishan’s largest temple. If the 10,000 miniature Buddhas don’t delight you, then the array of F&B offerings in the form of local stalls are bound to win you over! 

Closer to Taipei and yet away from the hustle of the city is the Yangminshan National Park, famous for its floral blossoms, hot springs and a dormant volcano – the Seven Star Mountain. A walk through Xiaoyoukeng takes you through steaming vents and sulfur deposits, leading to the top of Seven Star Mountain – the park’s highest peak. This trail offers the best view of downtown Taipei. For travellers who prefer shorter walks with greater views, Qingtiangang with green, lush grasslands are a must-visit.

Three-phase Opening Plan

Towards the goal of welcoming international tourists in the third quarter of the year, Taiwan has also implemented a three-phase opening plan, the first phase of which is now underway. This phase includes focusing on a pandemic prevention tourism plan, various tourism-related guidelines have been established including quick action plans in case of an outbreak. To encourage tourists to ‘travel with confidence’,  training courses and support courses are being provided to all those in the travel and tourism industry. 

In the second phase, an estimated NT$2 billion (US$33 million) is budgeted for tourism re-introduction. As part of the training, upto 300,000 participants from the tourism sector will partake in local FAM tours to be eligible for additional relief subsidies. Various sightseeing routes will be planned by connecting  local specialty outlets, homestays, attractions, shopping and more, to be promoted when the full travel plan officially resumes. These tours allow them a familiarisation of measures implemented, and the processes they must follow, thereafter.

Thereafter, the aim is to usher in the third phase, where Taiwan will excitedly await for international tourists to arrive, having created, implemented and successfully tested the measures adopted at the domestic level.

Stay-at-Home, Share your holiday plans and win vouchers

Watch out for Taiwan’s special campaigns on the beautiful mountains and nature trails on Facebook.

All readers/followers need to do is:

Comment on why Taiwan is their preferred destination of choice in their post-COVID travel plans.

Tag at least 2 friends or family members they look forward to travelling with to Taiwan.

Also use the hashtag #holidayforhealing.

And 10 lucky winners will stand a chance to receive Amazon Vouchers worth INR 1,500 each. 


Tags assigned to this article:
Taiwan Tourism Mountain Tourism

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