From November 06-10, 2022, Palau Visitors Authority visited Taiwan for the International Travel Fair (ITF) in Taipei. From there, PVA traveled down to Hualien for the Taiwan Indigenous Community Visit hosted by the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP).
The International Travel Fair ran from November 4-7 with over 1,000 booths from the tourism industry. It is the largest professional exhibition and sales travel showcase in Taiwan and was the biggest of its kind since Taiwan reopened its borders. A tradeshow where attendees can collect the latest travel updates and arrange activities for their sought-after destination. The Palau booth attracted hundreds of visitors during the show, and visitors were able to see traditional Palauan attire and experience a piece of Pristine Paradise Palau.
Moreover, ITF holds a dance competition during every show, with over 30 dance groups participating in the 4-day showcase. This year Palau won the “Best Performance Award,” winning it in two consecutive years. On that note, we want to recognize the Palauan dancers’ hard work creating such a memorable experience for ITF.
Those attending and representing the Palau booth were Alex Lei and Bob Yang from the PVA Taiwan Office, Ayanna Ramarui, Tamkang University Student, and Taka Akitaya, Ming Chuan University student. From the visiting Palau Delegation were Kadoi Ruluked, Managing Director of PVA, Norman Ngiratecheboet, Governor of Airai State, Katarina Mad, PVA State and Community Manager, Warang Polloi, Treasurer and Budget Officer of Airai State Government, and Janine Tewid, PVA Marketing Representative.
After a successful show, PVA traveled down to Hualien for the Taiwan Indigenous Community Visit hosted by the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP). For this visit, PVA selected Airai State from the Alii Pass Program to attend to show the different experiences offered by the various indigenous groups of Taiwan, from high-end camping to storytelling in the mountainous areas. The genuinely authentic experiences have shown us different ways of promoting sustainable tourism. PVA is ecstatic to implement similar work in states who have signed on to the Alii Pass program. PVA hopes that bringing along state representatives will inspire them to initiate such work in their communities.
With the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Human Resource, Culture, Tourism and Development (MHRCTD) and the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the cooperation seeks to improve and facilitate the sustainable development of Austronesian Peoples of the Republic of Palau and Republic of China (Taiwan). We aim to foster and nurture relationships through such exchanges.
On the last day of the Taiwan visit, PVA hosted a dinner reception inviting tour companies and business associates in Taiwan for tourism promotion and exchange as China Airlines resumes its regular flight schedule to Palau. With the exchange, attendees from various agencies could connect with the Palau delegation’s members and receive the latest updates on Palau and the tourism industry.