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EVA Air and the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration (SMTA) have teamed up for the third consecutive year to make travel to Taiwan and the Yangtze River Delta Region more appealing than ever. SMTA reported more than 8.7 million overseas visitors in 2011. Using Fly, Comfort, Explore as the program concept, the airline and the tourism administration are working with tour operators and travel agents to attract even more visitors from North America this year. EVA and SMTA hosted informational tours for travel-industry professionals in Los Angeles on May 14, Vancouver on May 16 and in New York on May 18, 2012.
EVA executive vice president Moody Tsai welcomed the group with an introduction of the airline’s brand-new Royal Laurel Class business cabin and enhanced services, giving event guests in Los Angeles and New York the opportunity to touch, feel and sit in one of the actual seats. SMTA vice-chairman Mei-Hong Cheng presented a pictorial tour of new tourism destinations and invited guests to pinpoint favorite Shanghai and Yangtze River Delta region attractions on a special display.
“The success of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 brought travelers to our great city and opened the door for more,” Ms. Cheng said. “Now, the former Shanghai World Expo site is a tremendous asset for visitors. While Shanghai has historically offered an alluring mix of tourism resources, we are working to further develop and improve shopping, entertainment, leisure, access to famous attractions and conference facilities. Our city is known for its unique style and fascinating blend of the old with the new, from art and architecture to cutting-edge style and ancient tradition. Above all, the friendly openness of the people of Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta is unsurpassed.”
In Shanghai’s seamless weave of Eastern and Western cultures and influences, business and leisure travelers who visit the two sides of the Huangpu River experience different lifestyles, cuisines, teas, holidays and even distinct cultural variations among people. Of Shanghai’s total visitors in 2011, 673,764 were from the United States and 153,185 from Canada. During the first four months of this year, approximately 200,000 visitors traveled to Shanghai from the U.S. and an estimated total of 700,000 are expected before the end of 2012. EVA carried 10,000 passengers from North America to Taiwan and the Yangtze River Delta in 2010, doubled that number to 20,000 last year and aims to grow its share of this burgeoning market to 30,000 in 2012.
“As we have increased flight frequency between Taiwan and Mainland China, passenger demand for our services in North America has also grown,” Tsai said. “More and more people are attracted to Eastern culture, business opportunities in regions of Asia are thriving and travelers are recognizing the time saving and economic benefits of combining Taipei and Shanghai into one trip. Allure of travel to both destinations becomes apparent with a look at the reality shows that have aired programs featuring Taiwan and Mainland China or that plan these kinds of segments in the future. EVA’s future Star Alliance membership will create even more opportunities for travelers from North America to visit Taiwan and the Yangtze River Delta region, offering more flights and more easy, convenient choices.”
Taipei and Shanghai have a lot in common. Both modern, world-class cities are famous for food, fashion, urban landscapes of ancient landmarks side-by-side with eye-catching skyscrapers and friendly people. Both also have mature infrastructures for travelers, including a wide selection of hotels and variety of attractions. Taipei and Shanghai are major destinations for travelers from North America. Further improved and enhanced tour products will continue to create additional opportunities for visitors from the United States and Canada.
From its gateways in Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, in addition to San Francisco, Toronto and Seattle, EVA offers 45 trans-Pacific flights and operates 105 onward from Taiwan to 29 gateways in Mainland China. With its frequency and network, EVA offers more flights from North America to Taiwan with more easy, one-stop connections to Mainland China and throughout Asia than any other airline. The other three cities the airline serves in the Yangtze River Delta region are Hangzhou, Nanjing and Ningbo, all a high-speed train ride or short flight away from Shanghai.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
