To attract international travelers to Hakka villages and promote Hakka culture on the world stage, officials of the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) and Tourism Bureau attended a travel fair organized by the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) at the Singapore Expo complex. The fair took place from Aug. 2 to 4. They also participated in a travel mart, raising the profile of Taiwan’s Hakka attractions by speaking to local travel agencies.

According to the Tourism Bureau, the number of tourists from Singapore is increasing every year, with such visitors reaching 427,000 in 2018. The data clearly indicates that, for Singaporean visitors, Taiwan is truly a travel-worthy place.

Nearly 75 percent of Singapore’s residents are of Chinese descent, and many of them are Hakkas, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍). As a result, HAC regards Singapore as one of its top target markets because 70 percent of Singaporeans who have visited Taiwan before will revisit again. This is the reason that HAC took part in the NATAS Travel Fair once again.

Chen Ruei-jung (陳瑞榮), deputy head of HAC’s Department of Industrial Economy, noted that the theme of the Hakka pavilion was “Hakka Villages Tour.” HAC recommended ten major Taiwanese Hakka villages to Singaporean tourists who are interested in revisiting Taiwan, added Chen.

In addition to offering travel-related information, the Hakka pavilion also held hands-on activities such as making the Hakka signature tea “Lei Cha” and utilized virtual-reality technology for expo-goers to explore Hakka food culture and experience strolls along historic trails in the countryside, as part of HAC’s efforts to promote the tour of Hakka villages in more creative ways.