Taipei aims for 20 pct increase in Malaysian tourist arrivals

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TAIPEI: The Taipei City government aims to record a 20 per cent year-on-year growth in Malaysian tourist arrivals by year-end, up from 370,000 in 2015.

Information and Tourism Commissioner, Yu-Yen Chien said of the 430,000 Malaysians who visited Taiwan last year, 370,000 visited Taipei, the country’s capital.

“We believe there is huge potential in the Malaysian tourism market, especially among the Muslim population,” she told reporters at a media briefing yesterday.

Chien said the local government is as such, also looking at increasing the number of halal restaurants and hotel to 36 by end-2016, up from the 29 recorded in the first half of the year.

“Last year, a famous bakery with 150-year of history, spent more than one million of new Taiwan Yuan to develop its halal certified production line,” she added.

The bakery at present produces halal pineapple cake, a famous Taiwanese delicacy and greenbean cake.

Halal products in Taiwan are certified by the Chinese Muslim Association and Taipei Grand Mosque.

Meanwhile, Chien did not rule out the Taipei City government cooperating with market players to add a halal section in convenient stores in the near future.

“The number of Malaysian tourist arrivals is at present quite small.

This is when compared with about 10 million in annual international tourist arrivals that we record on average.

“If the number grows, we will actively engage with the industry players to cater to the halal need.

This is besides adding more Muslim friendly facilities.

“Currently, there are Muslim prayer rooms in Taipei City Hall and at the Taipei main train station,” she said. — Bernama