‘Taiwan has a greater focus on action rather than words’
It’s impossible to discount the long-term impact of the absence of physical, and real offline marketing. The absence of trade events, business conferences, meeting potential travellers are not the only challenge. In the ‘post-COVID’ world, in addition to the increasing barriers on face-to-face business, prospective clients/customers are going to be hesitant in walking through a door and shaking your hand or sharing a cup of tea – and in the absence of a direct medicine or vaccine, we cannot estimate how long this will last.
However, the other side to it is that digital consumption has seen an unprecedented increase, and we have chosen to focus specifically on social channels and the Internet to work on reputation building, and ensuring any information coming from Taiwan is available for interested readers/consumers. SEO and PPC, digital marketing, social media, content, and email marketing have acquired a strong focus. That said, we have consciously chosen to stay away from the webinar means of communication, unless we are certain that there is a timeline in sight for a potential opening up of tourism-based relationship between Taiwan and the country hosting the webinar.
Taiwan has a greater focus on action rather than words. Businesses and Schools in Taiwan remained open through the entire first-wave of the virus period, and infection numbers have not crossed 500 in spite of Taiwan being the earliest to report a case. We recently resumed domestic cruises, as well as a series of openair festivals and celebrations. And continue to ensure this information is available to all our partners, operators and potential travellers.
This has also led to an adjustment in our outlooks - from a quarterly focus, the planning is more mid to longterm for now with both investments/ budgetary outlines, response analysis and actionable plans.
As a Tourism Board, we are heavily impacted by the closing of international borders between countries, and have had to refocus strategic interactions and visibility. Typically, a promotion - whether commercial or driven editorially via media always has a follow-up component in the form of a possibility of a visit or actual booking. The uncertainty due to COVID implies that any conversation we have with potential travellers, does not have the follow-up mechanism to convert it to an actual booking.
We have shifted our communication in two ways:
Focussing on reputation management: At this point, it is important to instil a sense of security and confidence in potential travellers - both tourists and business/MICE segment and we have ensured that regular information flows, which clearly elaborate upon policies, infection numbers, measures and future outlines, are maintained with necessary stakeholders
Accepting the challenging situation and thereafter coining, Holiday for Healing: It is important to acknowledge the virus has affected the way we travel, especially as long as its global impact without direct medicine and vaccination remains. Countries that have created travel bubbles or blocs have seen a surge or a second wave. Therefore, it’s important that itineraries and travel reflect the actual situation, and consider that those travelling must be put on a path of ‘healing’ which allows them and countries to plan holidays that are mentally and physically ‘healing’ and don’t cause unplanned waves.