Budiey
As part of its initiative to further increase marketing efforts amongst Malaysian tourists, Taipei City’s Department of Information and Tourism recently introduced a range of well-loved Taipei-based trendy brands at the “FUN TAIPEI”Pop-Up Event held at IOI City Mall, Putrajaya. Dato’ Fazley Yaakob, a well-known local culinary figure and Mickey Huang,a renowned Taiwanese comedian and host belted out the newly adapted Rasa Sayangsong together with guitar accompaniment by the former.
Rearranged by Dato’ Fazley who is also a singer-actor, the new version of the Malaysian folk song incorporated notable Taipei features in its Malay and Chinese lyrics. This presents a brilliant essence of “undiscovered Taipei” which highlights its scenic spots and gourmet foods, further stressing on the already good impression of Taipei among Malaysian tourists.
Among Dato’ Fazley’s recommendations from the various Muslim-friendly destinations and eateries in Taipei were the specially marinated crispy chicken by Fried Chicken Master, award-winning pineapple cake by the century-old Kuo Yuan Yepastry store, premium Formosan coffee by San Coffee, mango shaved ice by Ice Monsterwhich is named by CNN as one of the world’s top 10 desserts, an eclectic selection of traditional Taiwanese treats by the Instagram-worthyJingimoodessert shop, the contemporary Ambahotels, as well as Taipei Double Decker Sightseeing Bus.
According to the latest statistics by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the number of ASEAN tourists visiting Taiwan has exceeded 1.38 million from the period of January to July this year, and the figure is still escalating. Among all ASEAN countries, Malaysia topped the rank as the largest market for tourism in Taiwan, which then inspired the Taipei City’s Department of Information and Tourism to continue its efforts in boosting the number of Malaysian tourists this year.
During the press conference, the Department also launched a digital clip documenting Dato’ Fazley’s mouth-watering and treasure hunting mission which was part of his expedition to Taipei last month, whereby he discovered many eateries and places yet to be explored by Muslim tourists.
Born and bred in Taiwan, Mickey Huang said he lives and breathes the air of the streets and alleys and has deep-rooted knowledge of what is fun and tasty in the city. “Who else can be the most ideal ambassador for Taipei, if it isn’t me!”, he said. Having said that, Mickey Huang mentioned that he would often be surprised by new and interesting things in the city even if he is a local resident who has been living there all his life. Therefore, he recommends Malaysian tourists to continuously visit Taiwan as the country is always evolving, presenting something new to see each time.
Echoing Mickey Huang’s sentiment, Dato’ Fazley added that he still discovers something new and fun each time he visits Taipei, though he has visited the city more than once. He especially adores the food in Taipei and quipped, “Taipei’s night markets are where you can find tasty dishes, such as stinky tofu and beef noodles. These are great food in Taipei that I cannot forget.” He also added that Taipei has many Muslim-friendly restaurants and hotels and recommended Muslims to visit Taipei with peace of mind.
According to Shen Yung-hua, Senior Specialist of Taipei City’s Department of Information and Tourism, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia are among the targeted ASEAN markets the government is looking at this year. The number of Malaysian tourists travelling to Taiwan has been on the rise every year, with 528,019 Malaysians visiting Taiwan in 2017, an 11.3% increase from 474,420 in 2016. The favorable statistics also made Malaysia the sixth largest market in the world and topped all other ASEAN countries. Of all other cities in Taiwan, Taipei is a “must go” city for nearly 90 percent of Malaysian tourists.
Besides the Malaysian Chinese market, the department is also looking into exploring the Malaysian Muslim market. Therefore, Taipei is evolving to create a more Muslim-friendly travel environment. In that, the authority would design a brand new travel package for solo travellers according to the characteristics and preferences of Malaysians while establishing deeper communications with local travel agencies. Other than that, the Department will also invite trustworthy Muslim celebrities to become the spokespersons of the city, hoping to open up the Muslim market and encourage more visitors from Malaysia to come and experience Taipei.
Elaborating further, Shen suggested that the 2019 Taipei New Year’s Eve Countdown party is a must-visit event for Asian travellers. He highly recommends Malaysian tourists to visit Taipei at the end of this year to join the party and enjoy the fireworks display at the Taipei 101 skyscraper. The next morning, visitors could hop on the MRT, arrive in Mucha in less than 30 minutes and take a ride on the Maokong Gondola to enjoy the breath-taking view overlooking Taipei. Then, visitors can take a stroll at the trails and listen to the sounds of nature while sipping on a cup of warm tea. It’s time to enjoy serenity away from the crowd. “Taipei is a city perfect for action and relaxation. It has many sites waiting to be explored and you can always capture the true essence behind ‘Undiscovered Taipei’ regardless of how many times you have visited the city,” he explained.
This special travel deal has an exclusive discount featuring Taiwan’s top airliner China Airlines and hotel deals available from now. The super value package starts at MYR 1,403. Visitors stand to win a chance for one of the limited FUN TAIPEI packages, each valued at over MYR 915. The package includes a canvas tote bag (available in limited quantity), a one-day Fun Pass Taipei, a Taipei sightseeing double-decker ticket as well as coupons to selected stores, giving Malaysian visitors easy access to wonderful dining and shopping experiences of Taipei as soon as they board the flight.
“FUN TAIPEI” Surprise Package
| Brands | Coupon |
| Amba Hotel | Buy One & Get One half price for Halal Burger Set with amba Fries and a Soft DrinkBuy One & Get One half price for Beef Spare Ribs Noodle Soup |
| Ice Monster | Get a Free Ice Monster Shaped Popsicle with every purchase over NT$100 |
| Fried Chicken Master | Buy Jimbo + Cutie (Large) & Get One Free |
| KUO YUAN YE pastry | Buy One Box of Taiwan Golden Prize- Pineapple Shortcake (10pcs) & Get 2nd at 40% worth discount. (Only at selected stores) |
| San Coffee | Every purchase of more than NT$450 will win a gift of three choices |
| Sugar & Spice pastry | Get 10% off |
| Jingimoo Dessert | Buy One Iced Dessert & Get One Free (valued over NT$150) |
| inBloom designed fabrics shop | Get a free printed fabric coaster with every purchase over NT$600 |
| Palais de Chine Hotel | Free room upgrade (Applied upon room availability; the hotel has the right to adjust or modify the policy without prior notice)Free on time mini bar upon arrival. |
| TAIPEI 101 Observatory | Buy One Adult Ticket & Get a 101 Rainbow Crayon |
| Taipei Double DeckerSightseeing Bus | Buy One Full-day Ticket & Get One Free (Onboard Purchase Only) |
