Lion Travel, a prominent Taiwan-based tour operator, has made a strategic move to attract more outbound travellers to Taiwan by investing in a five-year charter of two trains and a cruise liner.
“When you think of Bali, you think of massage. When you think of Bangkok, you think of food. We were advised (by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau) to find a unique selling point so that we can market Taiwan better,” Lion Travel’s international business development project manager, Nobita Jong, told TTG Asia.
This was how the two train products, The Future and Breezy Blue, were created, which Jong said would provide tourists with a unique, eco-friendly experience.
The Future takes 120 guests on both a luxurious culinary and scenic journey, and a range of one- to seven-day itineraries are available. For instance, the one-day tour takes guests from Nangang Station to Taroko Gorge and back, while the three-day tour goes from Nangang to Chishang, a hot spring town, includes a stay at the five-star Hotel Royal Chihpen, before returning to Nangang by bus.
The Future welcomes corporate bookings, but advanced reservations are needed. The activity is currently fully booked till February 2024.
Meanwhile, Breezy Blue offers seven-day tours that are wallet-friendly, taking tourists to must-see sights such as Beinan Site Park, Ten-drum Cultural Village, and Jiufen. Guests will travel mainly by bus, with the railway experience running between Taitung and Fangliao.
Lion Travel has also signed a long-term charter agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line, which will see the deployment of Norwegian Spirit to Asia from June to September 2024. The ship will sail from both Keelung and Kaohsiung with 26 voyages to Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
“In general, I feel that Taiwan is not very well known (as a tourist destination among) Indian travellers,” stated Jong, likely because Lion Travel only started looking at India more keenly this year.
He acknowledges India as a “big market with a lot of potential”. As such, Lion Travel is looking for a rep for the India market.
Meanwhile, regional expansion is on the cards for the Taiwanese operator, with a Vietnam office soon to open.
Based in New Zealand, Jong manages Lion Travel’s operations in Australia and New Zealand, and has recently taken on the task of handling the Indian market.
