To Promote Taiwan's agricultural tourism, the Council of Agriculture (COA) has actively assisted domestic agri-tourism’s owners to participate in the international travel exhibitions in recent years. In NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents Singapore) Travel Fair 2008 (Feb.29~Mar.2), which closed successfully on March 2, the exhibitors of Taiwan's agricultural tourism reached a total of 25. They had attracted the Singapore’s industries and visitors to the exhibition booth where they received high praise, and became one of the most popular exhibition visiting areas. This is the result of Taiwan’s agri-tourism's arduous efforts for the previous three consecutive years.

The Council of Agriculture (COA) said that the agricultural tourism has become the hottest national travel in recent years. For cooperation with promoting the "Doubling Tourist Visitors Plan", the Council of Agriculture (COA) is actively developing overseas travel markets to create more business opportunities for Taiwan's agricultural tourism. Based on the overall evaluations, the first phase is to target the Chinese people in southeastern Asia and Hong Kong, whose language, eating habits and cultural backgrounds are very similar to Taiwan's, so as to start a layout for marketing our agricultural tourism internationally.

The Council of Agriculture (COA) emphasized that Taiwan's agricultural tourism, which uses rural culture, agricultural production, eco-environment and friendliness of farmers as the selling point, found favor with Hong Kong's media with tourists and was chosen as the "New Travel Routes Awards-Most Passionate Tour" by Hong Kong's U Magazine in 2004. During 2005, it began to develop Singapore's market, where 75 percent population is the Chinese, by attending travel fairs to provide the information service of Taiwan's agricultural tourism and by promotion and advertising programs, holding presentations with symposiums and inviting visiting tours of journalists. Also, the provision of free DIY folk game attracted many parents with their children to participate in the exhibition. It drew much attention from local travel agencies and then they zealously developed new tour packages for Taiwan's agricultural tourism. After more than one year of propagation, the total person-time of travelers from Singapore to Taiwan's agri-tourism reached 10,139 in 2006, and 15,278 in 2007 with an annual growth rate of 51％. According to estimation, more than twenty travel agencies brought Taiwan's agri-tourism into their tour packages in NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents Singapore) Travel Fair 2008.

The Council of Agriculture (COA) believes that for Singapore, a country as a metropolitan city, the agricultural tourism is an industry with the closest emotions that integrates lands, agricultural production, natural environment and the culture of industry, and is also what Singaporeans lack and aspires to participate in. After the introductions of reaping fruits in farms, folk game and fine food, many Chinese in Singapore expressed excitedly, "I am looking for this kind of tour very long. We used to see such as wax apples, tangerines, bananas in the supermarket. But if we can pick the fruits off trees by our hands, we must be very contented. We will bring children to Taiwan to reap fruits and have delicious foods!" It shows that Taiwan's agricultural tourism has grasped the hearts of Singaporeans! Cindy, Taiwan market manager of Nam Ho Travel Service Pte Ltd.(Singapore), said "I like Taiwan's agri-tourism. Their employees are enthusiastic and work very seriously, and tourists give a high degree of satisfaction." It is believed that the number of tourists from Singapore to Taiwan's agri-tourism will be a new record this year again, that brings a more prospective view of Taiwan's agricultural tourism.

Contact: Specialist H. J. Chen Counseling Department

Tel : 02-23124690

Mobile : 0933-004331