Taiwan Tourism launches U.S. campaign to drive more visits and repeat trips

Taiwan Tourism Administration launched #100WaysToWonder in Irvine, California, to market Taiwan to U.S. travelers through food, culture, nature, shopping and romance. The campaign also pairs with a new repeat-visitor incentive starting Oct. 10, 2026, as Taiwan looks to build on strong U.S. spending and visitor growth.

Why it matters: - Taiwan is targeting U.S. travelers with a campaign built around personalized trip planning, not a one-size-fits-all pitch. - U.S. visitors spent the most per day of any international market in 2025, at US$242.84 per person, versus US$185.14 across all international visitors. - More than 710,000 U.S. travelers visited Taiwan in 2025, making the United States Taiwan’s largest long-haul visitor market. - Taiwan is also trying to turn first-time visitors into repeat travelers with a new incentive program launching Oct. 10, 2026.

What happened: - Taiwan Tourism Administration launched #100WaysToWonder at SunWheel Lawn beside the giant Ferris wheel at Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine, California, on Oct. 3. - The event showcased Taiwanese glove puppetry by Guang-Xing-Ge Puppet Troupe from Changhua, Taiwan, and a pop dance performance by Los Angeles-based Formosan Dance Crew. - Taiwan Tourism’s mascot, OhBear, made a surprise appearance and greeted guests and families. - The launch drew more than 1,000 attendees and included support from the City of Irvine, Vice Mayor James Mai and Councilmember Melinda Liu. - Guests and partners from China Airlines, EVA Air, STARLUX Airlines, Lion Travel Group and King Car Group’s Mr. Brown Coffee also attended. - The event included three round-trip air tickets between the United States and Taiwan as raffle prizes.

The details: - The campaign centers on six travel themes: food, culture, nature, LOHAS, shopping and romance. - Visitors took part in interactive activities, family-friendly entertainment and hands-on experiences tied to those themes. - Examples included feeding bao to OhBear with giant chopsticks, posing in an OhBear nature photo booth, making Taiwan-inspired luggage tags with STARLUX Airlines, playing traditional Taiwanese pinball with EVA Air and creating sand art inspired by Taiwan’s LOHAS experiences. - The campaign aims to show Taiwan through experiences travelers already enjoy, rather than through one signature attraction. - Taiwan Tourism also launched 100WaysToWonder.com, a digital hub for trip inspiration and planning. - The site lets visitors explore Taiwan by interests, travel style and available time, browse partner offers and use an AI-powered itinerary generator. - The campaign builds on Taiwan’s global “Taiwan - Waves of Wonder” brand. - Taiwan Tourism Administration said the “Return to Taiwan, Double Your Luck” incentive program begins Oct. 10, 2026, for eligible repeat visitors who return for stays of more than three days. - Travelers who are not Taiwan passport holders and who have previously entered Taiwan since Jan. 1, 2023 may be eligible when returning on or after Oct. 10, 2026. - Eligible repeat visitors can register starting Oct. 1. - Travelers returning with a companion may receive travel incentives worth up to NT$8,000. - The incentive program runs through March 31, 2027. - Full eligibility details are available at program details. - Related launch photos are available at launch photos.

Between the lines: - Taiwan is reframing itself as a destination for multiple kinds of trips, which can help broaden appeal beyond traditional sightseeing. - The use of an AI itinerary tool suggests the tourism push is also designed to move travelers faster from awareness to booking. - Pairing the campaign with a repeat-visitor reward program signals an effort to increase both arrivals and return trips. - Southern California is a logical launch point because it is a major U.S. travel market and home to a large Asian American audience.

What's next: - Taiwan Tourism will keep promoting #100WaysToWonder on social media. - Travelers can continue exploring the campaign through 100WaysToWonder.com. - The repeat-visitor incentive opens Oct. 10, 2026, and remains active through March 31, 2027. - Taiwan Tourism says more information is available on its official website at Taiwan Tourism Administration.