Taiwan tourist attractions go halal in bidto woo Muslims

The Grand Mosque in Taipei, Taiwan. More ofthe island's tourist draws are adapting to attract more Muslims to make up theshortfall caused by dwindling visitors from China. ? EPA pic, February 21,2018.

from halal fried chicken to hot springshotels with prayer facilities, Taiwan is adapting its traditional tourist drawsto woo Muslim visitors as Chinese arrivals dwindle. 

Mainland tourist numbers have sliddramatically as China relations deteriorate, with speculation authorities thereare turning off the taps to pressure Taiwan's Beijing-sceptic government.

Taiwan is now looking to boost relationswith 16 south and southeast Asian countries, as well as Australia and NewZealand ? what it calls its "southbound policy" ? and is seeking morevisitors from the region.

That has meant a growing number of touristsfrom Muslim-majority countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Taiwan welcomed30% more visitors from southeast Asia in 2017.

Taoism is the prevalent religion in Taiwan,with Muslims making up less than 2% of the population, but tourists who spoketo AFP said they were surprised how welcome they felt.

"I really like the natural scenery inTaiwan and the people are very nice," said Ashma Bunlapho, 40, a Muslimtourist from Thailand on a five-day trip with her husband.

She found halal restaurants using GoogleMaps, including a shop selling beef noodles ? a Taiwanese favourite ? and feltfree to pray where she chose, taking her mat with her to famous nature spotsincluding Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan.

Malaysian tourist Dean Idris said halaleats were easily accessible as he visited Taipei with his two young children, takingin the zoo, a night market, and a historic district close to the city'sbest-known temple.

"I learnt that Taiwan, Taipeiespecially, is actually Muslim-friendly," he told AFP outside a mosque inthe capital, where he had gone to pray.

Cultural pride

Thailand, South Korea and Japan are amongAsian nations that have been tapping into the Muslim travel market, which hasbeen fuelled by growth in cheap flights and a booming middle class in countriessuch as Indonesia.

Fried Chicken Master, a small shop not farfrom Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall ? one of its most famous landmarks? has adapted to the trend, selling a halal version of the snack, which is alsoa Taiwanese favourite.

"We hope to be able to serve tourists,exchange students, or Muslims living in Taiwan. As Taiwanese we are proud ofour food," said Louis Tsai, a spokesman for Super Qin Group, which ownsthe shop.

A trip to one of Taiwan's hot springsresorts tops most tourists' to-do lists, and Gaia Hotel in mountainous Beitou,best-known for its natural pools, provides guest rooms with prayer directionsigns and prayer schedules.

Minibars there are alcohol-free and cakesdo not include pork-based gelatin. To obtain its halal certification, the hotelkitchen created a separate cooking and dining area.

"Since the number of Chinese touristshas decreased, and southeast Asia is quite a sizable market with many Muslims,this is an area we have to actively pursue," Jack Chang, Gaia's operationsmanager, told AFP.

Fair comparison?

On a recent visit to Istanbul, Taipei mayorKo Wen-je met Turkish lawmakers who want to fund the building of a third mosquein Taipei, according to the city government.

Taiwan is also trialling visa waivers forThailand, Brunei and the Philippines. It eased visa rules last June for sixsouthbound countries, including Indonesia, India, and Cambodia.

But some doubt whether the growth in Muslimtourism is enough to offset the lost income from the mainland.

Chinese visitor numbers dropped by a fifthlast year, dropping since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in May2016.

Beijing still sees self-ruling democraticTaiwan as part of its territory and relations have become increasingly tense asTsai refuses to acknowledge it is part of "one China".

Salahuding Ma, secretary general of theChinese Muslim Association, the largest halal certification body in Taiwan,says it is hard for the new wave of tourists to compete with their Chinesecounterparts.

"The Chinese have wealth and spendlavishly," he told AFP.

"If you are talking about southeastAsia, which country can even compare?" he asked.

Ma says Taiwan would have greater successif it overcame the language barrier by encouraging students from "targetcountries" to work in the island's tourism sector.

For Thai visitor Bunlapho, her lack ofChinese and limited English proved an obstacle when trying to findtransportation to Taroko National Park on Taiwan's east coast, famous for itsdeep gorges and sweeping cliff faces.

"I couldn't figure out how to get there,"she lamented. 

"Next time. I'll come back."  ? AFP, February 21, 2018.