The Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s office in New York announced on Wednesday that they will unveil the first 3D Taiwan tourism advertisement featuring the beloved mascot Oh Bear at Times Square in New York from November 24th to 30th. This dynamic advertisement aims to showcase the vibrancy and fun of tourism in Taiwan at one of the world’s busiest landmarks. The New York office also launched two double-decker buses with Taiwan tourism themes to enhance exposure in the North American market across various platforms. The advertisement will be broadcasted during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons to attract the attention of American and Canadian travelers planning to visit the Asia-Pacific region.
On November 19th, the New York office held a media and industry promotion briefing, featuring an exclusive preview of the latest season of the American PBS show “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi” filmed in Taiwan. The program will air on PBS channels on December 1st, 22nd, and 29th.
Host Mickela Mallozzi shared after the preview that initially, they had planned to film only two episodes, but after 10 days of exploration in Taiwan, the team found the material overwhelming. Ultimately, they expanded it to three episodes as they encountered too many people, stories, and cultural content to fit into just two episodes.
Mallozzi described Taiwan as a destination with “higher cultural density than expected,” with Tainan being the biggest surprise of the entire journey. She described Tainan as a city where history, flavors, and modern creativity intersect and admitted it has become her favorite city in Taiwan.
Viewers can see segments of her participation in the Yuan Heng Temple parade in Tainan, experiencing the art of face-changing, tasting local delicacies like milkfish soup, and visiting the Ten Drum Culture Village and a creative bar converted from a Chinese medicine shop. The production team stated that Tainan’s cultural layers and the seamless blend of old and new were among the main reasons for extending their filming time.
The Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s office in New York also announced the launch of the #PictureMeInTaiwan campaign. Keep an eye on the website for details on how to enter the draw and stand a chance to win round-trip tickets to Taipei sponsored by China Airlines. Link: https://picturemeintaiwan.com/
Director Lee Chih-chiang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York stated during the event that the increased people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and the United States, along with the continuous expansion of direct flights and destinations from the US to Taiwan, have helped attract more American travelers to visit Taiwan.
Chuang Ching-chen, Director of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s office in New York, emphasized that the Bureau has intensified promotional efforts in North America this year and introduced several incentives for international travelers. These include: (1) complimentary half-day tours for passengers with layover times between 7 to 24 hours; (2) NT$600 (approximately $20 USD) airport shopping vouchers available from November onwards; (3) the “Two People, Two Nights Stay” promotion to support tourism development on the East Coast (valid until February 28, 2026).
In the airline sector, both China Airlines and EVA Air announced the recent expansion of multiple North American routes and Thanksgiving promotions to meet the increasing demand for travel.