More “Undiscovered” reasons to go back to Taipei

I wonder where “crushie” is.

It was also almost the same time last year, when I attended the Fun Taipei media event and one of the reasons why I was so excited for our trip to Taiwan was because of Mikey Bustos music video “My New Crushie.”

No, I wasn’t looking for a crushie, as i was traveling with my partner, but the video was so catchy and it gave us a peak at the places we were going to visit–from the Taipei 101, the museums and of course the food trip and milk tea we all wanted to try. It turned out to be one of our best trips ever.

This year, the Taipei Tourism Office again sponsored another Mikey Bustos video, and I was actually disappointed that it wasn’t a continuation of Mikey and Venus’ story– but about taking his parents to #UndiscoveredTaipei.

And the video also wasn’t as good.

Still, it showed some other places that I’d want to visit since I really do plan on taking my parents to Taipei for my next trip.

The number of Southeast Asian visitors to Taipei has been on the rise in the recent years. According to a statistics report by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the number of visitors from the Philippines in 2018 grew 44 percent from 2017, the highest growth among other Southeast Asian countries. To keep the momentum of the success of the Filipino market, Taipei City’s Department of Information and Tourism continues to promote the city as the best destination in the region. 

Filipino YouTube star Mikey Bustos performed the song “Undiscovered Taipei” in a twist of traditional Taiwanese “seven-word tune” opera with rap. The fun and creative performance is set to start a new trend. 

Yi-ting Liu, commissioner of Taipei City’s Department of Information and Tourism, says the decision to invite Mikey again was because oF the success of his song “My New Crushie, ”, which set a record of a million views in major social networking websites last year.

And as an added initiative to watch the video, Liu said they will be offering free air ticket from the Philippines to Taiwan when the music video reaches over 300,000 views. ” 

This time the Tourism office is encouraging Filipino tourists to visit Taipei again and try something they have never experienced before. 

For Mikey, the most interesting part of shooting the video was the Beitou Hot Spring, “because there is a comfortable spring pool in the room. We also tasted tea served in a whisky glass in a hipster tea bar. “It was a relaxing experience full of surprises. Also, we had a great time filming on Yangmingshan. The flower sea of hydrangea and Xiaoyukeng, a scenic part on the mountain, is absolutely stunning.”

Further, the Department of Information and Tourism gathers an army of Taipei’s popular businesses showcasing Taipei’s authentic and classic dishes.

These include Taipei’s bestselling breakfast shop Zhenfang’s Taiwanese-styled omelet and fresh milk tea combo, Taipei’s spicy hotpot chain Mantanghung’s Sichuan-styled beef dried noodle, Taipei’s must-buy souvenir BRAVO!BEAR mango Shortcake by Taiwan’s leading pastry maker Kuo Yuan Ye, popular Jin Jin Dessert’s honey Citron aiyu jelly and unique sugar and grass jelly and milk, one of Filipino’s favorite tea shops as well as Cha FOR TEA to go’s signature 913 pearl milk tea and honey green tea.

These offers are expected to bring Taiwanese flavors to the event-goers. Catering to the characteristics of the Philippine visitors, online travel experience provider Klook comes up with an exclusive Taipei experience set, including Taipei’s double-decker sightseeing bus and the trendiest hotels as those are highly inquired by many Filipinos. 

A new Taipei travel product promotion for FIT travelers has also been announced to the Manila-based media. The promotion is a joint initiative between Taiwan’s top airliner Eva Air and online travel experience agency Klook. For group travelers, Eva Air has collaborated with certain travel agencies to launch a super package that starts at US$127 per person (about NT$4,000), available for sale in the Philippines as of today.

Other giveaways in limited quantities include a co-branded handmade soap gift box between Dachuns Soap and Taipei City or a Taipei travel pass (an exclusive EasyCard or a 4-hour ticket on Taipei’s double-decker sightseeing bus.) This promotion aims to offer Filipino visitors a super value experience from the moment they board the airplane until they fmish the whole journey. 

Commissioner Yi-ting Liu adds, “to furrther develop the Philippine market, the Department of Information and Tourism has organized a business matching session for travel agencies in the same afternoon after the press conference. ” Over 50 local travel agencies meet with Taipei’s hospitality business operators. For the first time, travel industry insider Michael Wu shares his views on the global travel market trend and Taiwan as a MICE destination, in the hope to boost the market of the F ilipino visitors and promote Taipei’s potential as a MICE location. 

Liu also talks about the consumer event at the Glorietta 2 Activity Center on Saturday, June 15. Meet and Greet with Mikey, food samplings, fun games, etc. Plus, the food stations featuring Taipei’ s gourmet dishes and an interactive studio to see Taipei’s landmarks and scenic spots, giving visitors a sneak peek of what to expect in Taipei. 

“We welcome all of you to see Mikey Bustos “performance, taste Taipei 29 food take a picture and upload on the web with the hashtag #UndiscoveredTaipei, ” stresses Liu. “Don’t miss out on the chance to join the lucky draw and now is the time to discover the parts of Taipei you haven’t seen! ” 

You might also want to check out these KLOOK Promotions: 

1. Taipei Travel Online Campaign Deals (Valid June 16‘“ July 30’“, 2019) 1) P150 (US$3) off on all Taipei Activities with a minimum spend of P3000 (US$57) 2) 10% off on Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass 3) 10% off on Taipei 101 Observatory E-ticket 4) 10% off on Taipei Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus 

2. Taipei Travel E-Voucher: KLOOK X EVA AIR (Limited Quantity 3,000, Valid June 14‘h December 315′, 2019) Reserve Taipei & Philippines roundtrip ticket via Eva Air to get the best deals! P250 (US$5) off on all Taipei Activities with a minimum spend of P3000 (US$57) 

3. Consumer Event Deals on June 15th, 2019, Activity Center Glorietta l) 10% 011‘ on all Taipei Activities; Max discount of P400 (US$8) 2) 10% off on Taiwan High Speed Rail 3) Buy 2 Get 1 Taipei Unlimited Fun Pass 4) Buy 2 Get 1 Taipei 101 Observatory E-ticket 5) Buy 2 Get 1 Taipei Double-Decker Sightseeing Bus ticket 

*Estimated US currency is only mid-market rates and subject to change, which is for informational purposes only.


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