The Grand Mosque in Taipei, Taiwan. More of
the island's tourist draws are adapting to attract more Muslims to make up the
shortfall caused by dwindling visitors from China. ? EPA pic, February 21,
2018.
FROM halal fried chicken to hot springs
hotels with prayer facilities, Taiwan is adapting its traditional tourist draws
to woo Muslim visitors as Chinese arrivals dwindle.
Mainland tourist numbers have slid
dramatically as China relations deteriorate, with speculation authorities there
are turning off the taps to pressure Taiwan's Beijing-sceptic government.
Taiwan is now looking to boost relations
with 16 south and southeast Asian countries, as well as Australia and New
Zealand ? what it calls its "southbound policy" ? and is seeking more
visitors from the region.
That has meant a growing number of tourists
from Muslim-majority countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Taiwan welcomed
30% more visitors from southeast Asia in 2017.
Taoism is the prevalent religion in Taiwan,
with Muslims making up less than 2% of the population, but tourists who spoke
to AFP said they were surprised how welcome they felt.
"I really like the natural scenery in
Taiwan and the people are very nice," said Ashma Bunlapho, 40, a Muslim
tourist from Thailand on a five-day trip with her husband.
She found halal restaurants using Google
Maps, including a shop selling beef noodles ? a Taiwanese favourite ? and felt
free to pray where she chose, taking her mat with her to famous nature spots
including Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan.
Malaysian tourist Dean Idris said halal
eats were easily accessible as he visited Taipei with his two young children, taking
in the zoo, a night market, and a historic district close to the city's
best-known temple.
"I learnt that Taiwan, Taipei
especially, is actually Muslim-friendly," he told AFP outside a mosque in
the capital, where he had gone to pray.
Cultural pride
Thailand, South Korea and Japan are among
Asian nations that have been tapping into the Muslim travel market, which has
been fuelled by growth in cheap flights and a booming middle class in countries
such as Indonesia.
Fried Chicken Master, a small shop not far
from Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall ? one of its most famous landmarks
? has adapted to the trend, selling a halal version of the snack, which is also
a Taiwanese favourite.
"We hope to be able to serve tourists,
exchange students, or Muslims living in Taiwan. As Taiwanese we are proud of
our food," said Louis Tsai, a spokesman for Super Qin Group, which owns
the shop.
A trip to one of Taiwan's hot springs
resorts tops most tourists' to-do lists, and Gaia Hotel in mountainous Beitou,
best-known for its natural pools, provides guest rooms with prayer direction
signs and prayer schedules.
Minibars there are alcohol-free and cakes
do not include pork-based gelatin. To obtain its halal certification, the hotel
kitchen created a separate cooking and dining area.
"Since the number of Chinese tourists
has decreased, and southeast Asia is quite a sizable market with many Muslims,
this is an area we have to actively pursue," Jack Chang, Gaia's operations
manager, told AFP.
Fair comparison?
On a recent visit to Istanbul, Taipei mayor
Ko Wen-je met Turkish lawmakers who want to fund the building of a third mosque
in Taipei, according to the city government.
Taiwan is also trialling visa waivers for
Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines. It eased visa rules last June for six
southbound countries, including Indonesia, India, and Cambodia.
But some doubt whether the growth in Muslim
tourism is enough to offset the lost income from the mainland.
Chinese visitor numbers dropped by a fifth
last year, dropping since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in May
2016.
Beijing still sees self-ruling democratic
Taiwan as part of its territory and relations have become increasingly tense as
Tsai refuses to acknowledge it is part of "one China".
Salahuding Ma, secretary general of the
Chinese Muslim Association, the largest halal certification body in Taiwan,
says it is hard for the new wave of tourists to compete with their Chinese
counterparts.
"The Chinese have wealth and spend
lavishly," he told AFP.
"If you are talking about southeast
Asia, which country can even compare?" he asked.
Ma says Taiwan would have greater success
if it overcame the language barrier by encouraging students from "target
countries" to work in the island's tourism sector.
For Thai visitor Bunlapho, her lack of
Chinese and limited English proved an obstacle when trying to find
transportation to Taroko National Park on Taiwan's east coast, famous for its
deep gorges and sweeping cliff faces.
"I couldn't figure out how to get there,"
she lamented.
"Next time. I'll come back." ? AFP, February 21, 2018.
link-> https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/39012/