To attract international travelers to Hakka villages and promote Hakka culture on the world stage, officials of the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) and Tourism Bureau attended the Travel Fair of National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) at Singapore Expo. The fair kicked off from Aug. 2 to 4. They also participated in a travel mart, raising the profile of Taiwan’s Hakka attractions to local travel agencies.
 

According to the Tourism Bureau, the number of tourists from Singapore is increasing every year, and it reaches 427,000 in 2018. The data clearly indicates that, for Singaporean visitors, Taiwan is truly a travel worthy place. Nearly 75 percent of residents in the country are of Chinese descent, and many of them are Hakkas, including Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍). As a result, HAC regards Singapore as one of the target markets because 70 percent of Singaporeans who has visited Taiwan will revisit the island. It is the reason that HAC took part in this year’s NATAS Travel Fair once again.
 

HAC’s deputy head of Department of Industrial Economy Chen Ruei-jung (陳瑞榮) noted that the theme of the Hakka pavilion is “Hakka Villages Tour.” HAC recommends ten major Hakka villages of Taiwan to re-visitors from Singapore, added Chen. He stated that, combined with local tourism industries, Hakka settlements’ natural beauty, culture, history, and cuisine are diversified, and hopes that Singaporean visitors will be enticed away from the hustle and bustle by the rural life of Taiwan Romantic Route 3, Beautiful Liudui, and Lively Provincial Highway 9.
 

In addition to offering travel information, the Hakka pavilion also had Hakka tea “Lei Cha” making activity and virtual reality technology for costumers to explore Hakka food culture and experience strolling along historic trails, promoting the tour of Hakka villages in more creative ways.