Market Watch
- New Zealand Airlines’ ‘8th Wonder of the World’ Promotion! Visit New Zealand without Going
- With Tourists not Coming, Japanese Company Launches Web Tours
- Hong Kong Winterfest Welcomes Festive Season Online
- Unilever Testing 4-Day Working Week in New Zealand; Could Go Worldwide If Successful
- Stitch Fix – Online Styling Services Overcoming Pandemic; Share Price Soars
- Google Unveils Major Search Trends of 2020
- Netflix 2020 Year in Review: Taiwanese Binge on Romantic, Fantasy Content
Tourism Industry Update
- Taiwan Outbound Departure Statistics, January-November 2020
- DGBAS Latest Economic Indicators for November 2020
- Tigerair Taiwan Promotion: Take Flight to Nowhere over Jeju, Get Free Ticket to Korea
- Tigerair Taiwan + KKday Promote Hot Springs Package with Free Ticket to Japan
- 2021 Taiwan Lantern Festival to Feature ‘Riding the Wind, Chasing Light’ Centerpiece
- Travel Industry Divided on Plan to Borrow to Save Tourism Sector
- Travel Industry Coming Up with Creative Sidelines to Make Up for Lost Revenue’
- Taiwanese Airlines Vying for, Getting Orders to Ship COVID-19 Vaccines
- Ready to Go Abroad! EVA Air, China Airlines Promote Stylish Protective Gear
- Hotels Looking to Salvage Revenue Lost to Canceled, Downsized Year-end Banquets
- New Zealand, Australia to Adopt ‘Travel Bubble’ in 2021 Q1
Media News
- Social Media Marketing Trends for 2021
- Who Is Still Watching TV? Taiwan’s Streaming Leaders Staking Out Niches’
- Entertainment Opportunities Post-COVID: Podcasts, OTT Dramas, Online Shows Buck the Tide
- YouTube’s Rankings of Top Videos, Influencers in 2020: Who Took the Top Spots?
- Tools to Help Travel Industry Recover Post-COVID: Google Launches Travel Insights with Google
Case Study
Market Watch
New Zealand Airlines’ ‘8th Wonder of the World’ Promotion! Visit New Zealand without Going
The end of COVID-19 and the world returning to normal may still seem a long way away. But New Zealand Airlines, known for its creative flight safety videos, has recently released a new safety video called “Aotearoa, the 8th Wonder of the World” that has rekindled people’s yearning for travel and anticipation of the day when they can travel freely.
Within one week after it was posted online, the video had received 850,000 views, indicating that even though people cannot physically travel overseas under the cloud of the pandemic, they are still willing to give a “virtual” trip to New Zealand a try.
Source: GQ
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With Tourists not Coming, Japanese Company Launches Web Tours
Japanese travel company “Nippon Travel Agency” has launched “Real Web Tours” for overseas travelers that live stream major attractions in Tokyo. English-speaking guides with national tour guide interpreter certification will take part in the live stream to talk about Tokyo and the measures being taken to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. They will also take audience questions and may send handkerchiefs and other Japanese specialties to viewers. Nippon Travel Agency is hoping that by expanding its online services it can attract more overseas travelers to Japan.
Source: Chinese Nikkei
Full article:..
Hong Kong Winterfest Welcomes Festive Season Online
Tourists have not been able to visit Hong Kong to celebrate romantic festivals because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Hong Kong Tourism Board has introduced “A Virtual Tour of Christmas Town” for the first time. The agency worked with illustrators to design stickers with Christmas and New Year’s scenes that can be downloaded for free and launched online videos showing how to make Christmas ornaments. Travel platform KKday has also initiated a “Cloud Travel” service for the first time, and its first itinerary was a “Tsim Sha Tsui Colorful Walking Tour” in conjunction with Hong Kong’s Christmas festivities.
Source: 7totravel (7to.com.tw)
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Unilever Testing 4-Day Working Week in New Zealand; Could Go Worldwide If Successful
The New Zealand branch of consumer products multinational Unilever has announced that it will test a 4-day working week without reducing employee pay. Nick Bangs, managing director of Unilever New Zealand, said the goal of the test was to “measure performance on output, not time…We believe the old ways of working are outdated and no longer fit for purpose.”
Sources: Business Weekly, BBC
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Stitch Fix – Online Styling Services Overcoming Pandemic; Share Price Soars
The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to the fashion industry, but the online subscription styling services offered by American e-commerce fashion platform Stitch Fix have helped the company offset weak consumer sentiment. Its net revenue grew 10% year-over-year to US$490.4 million for the quarter ending on Oct. 31, according to Tech Crunch, and the news pushed the stock up by as much as 53% on Dec. 8 before it closed nearly 40% higher.
Before consumers use Stitch Fix’s subscription services, they must fill out a detailed questionnaire, describing their fashion preferences, budget, measurements, and occasions for which clothes are needed. The consumer then receives a box with five different items, including clothes and fashion accessories, and pays for them if he or she decides to keep and buy them.
Sources: Business Weekly, Tech Crunch
Full article:…
Google Unveils Major Search Trends of 2020
Google has released its list of the top trending searches worldwide in 2020, with “coronavirus,” “election results,” and late NBA star “Kobe Bryant” at the top of the list. The work-at-home trend driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the soaring popularity of video conferencing software and services, helping web conference company “Zoom” rank fourth in the search list. Ranking fifth was a sports-related search term – “IPL” (the Indian Premier League of cricket).
Eight trends were particularly noteworthy：
1. “Mask emojis” have been more searched than “hug emojis”
2. Search numbers for “how to help” have reached unprecedented heights
The hottest keywords have included: how to help fight Australian fires, how to help or donate to “Black Lives Matter,” how to provide help during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to help Beirut.
3. There were twice as many searches for how to grow vegetables in 2020 as there were in 2019.
4. Global searches for “foster a dog” reached an all-time high, with “toy poodle” the top trending dog of the year
5. Based on search numbers, the baked good global netizens most wanted to make was “sourdough bread.”
6. DIY learning was one of 2020’s hottest categories, with search numbers hitting record highs. The most searched DIY learning area was “sewing machine.”
7. Search with greatest historical significance: “Black Lives Matter”
This topic was searched by people around the world for the first time this year, with search numbers in 2020 exceeding those in 2019 five-fold.
8. The most interesting trending question on Google in 2020 was “how do lobsters communicate?”
The question had search numbers that reached an all-time high, and it was also the top trending question around communication. Lobsters cannot make sounds or movements so they use complex signals involving smell. They eject urine out of the bladder bags on either side of their heads, and the urine contains chemicals that give messages of various intensity.
Source: Liberty Times, Google
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Netflix 2020 Year in Review: Taiwanese Binge on Romantic, Fantasy Content
The Netflix 2020 Year in Review has been released, revealing that in 2020 Taiwanese audiences gravitated toward romantic, fantasy and anime programs and Korean dramas. The number of hours browsing these types of programming in 2020 soared, rising 6-fold for romantic and fantasy programming, nearly 5-fold for Korean dramas, and more than double for anime shows, indicating the diverse interests of Taiwanese Netflix users. The biggest local hits among foreign audiences were “The Victims’ Game” and “The Bridge Curse.”
Source: United Daily News
Full article:.
Tourism Industry News
Taiwan Outbound Departure Statistics, January-November 2020
1. Taiwanese went abroad 2,315,246 times in the first 11 months of 2020, down 85.45% from the same period of 2019, when 15,909,816 people went abroad.
2. The top destination for outbound travelers from January to November 2020 was Japan, mainly because of its popularity as a destination in the first quarter of 2020 before COVID-19 brought cross-border travel to a halt, followed by China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Travel to all five destinations was down from a year earlier, falling by as much as 90.12% to Hong Kong.
3. Outbound departures have fallen month-by-month since peaking at 37,786 in August, dropping to 23,666 in November.
Source: Tourism Bureau Monthly Statistics
DGBAS Latest Economic Indicators for November 2020
- The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.09% in November 2020 compared to the same month in 2019, while the Wholesale Price Index fell 6.22% year-on-year.
- The Industrial Production Index was 122.99 in November 2020, up 1.40% from the previous month and up 7.84% compared with November 2019. From January to November, industrial production was up 6.54% from the same period a year earlier, and manufacturing production was up 6.97% year-on-year.
- Export orders received by Taiwanese companies totaled US$57.78 billion in November 2020, up US$6.19 billion, or 12.0%, from the previous month. For the first 11 months of 2020, export orders totaled US$473.11 billion, up US$32.34 billion, or 7.3%, from the same period a year earlier.
1. Taiwan’s unemployment rate in November was a seasonally adjusted 3.77%, unchanged from October and only 0.04 percentage points higher than in November 2019. There were 11.52 million people employed and 449,000 people unemployed.
2. Average monthly earnings, which include bonuses, overtime pay and other irregular income, for all employees (include full-time and part-time Taiwan nationals and foreign nationals) was NT$47,912 in November, down 5.22% from the previous month. But average monthly earnings for the first 10 months of 2020 were up 1.50% from the same period a year earlier.
Source: DGBAS Latest Indicators
Tigerair Taiwan Promotion: Take Flight to Nowhere over Jeju, Get Free Ticket to Korea
The Korea Tourism Organization has teamed up with Tigerair Taiwan and ezTravel on a “2021 Fly to Korea with Tigerair in the New Year” promotion. The flight will take off from Kaohsiung International Airport, fly over Jeju Island and then return to Kaohsiung, with plenty of special activities arranged along the way. Participants will get a free round-trip ticket between Taiwan and South Korea for use in the coming year.
Source: 7totravel (7to.com.tw)
Full article:…
Tigerair Taiwan + KKday Promote Hot Springs Package with Free Ticket to Japan
Tigerair Taiwan and KKday were both founded in 2014 and have young and creative management teams. At the beginning of August 2020, they teamed up on a special “flight to nowhere” promotion, called “Michelin Feast in the Sky – Dawan Yakiniku Pop-up Store.” The tickets, sold exclusively by KKday, were gone as soon as they hit the market, and Tigerair Taiwan became the first domestic airline to operate such a flight. The two signed an MOU on Dec. 23 covering a new campaign in which consumers can buy vouchers to bathe in hot springs and get a free round-trip ticket for future travel to Japan.
Source: China Times
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2021 Taiwan Lantern Festival to Feature ‘Riding the Wind, Chasing Light’ Centerpiece
The 2021 Taiwan Lantern Festival, to be held in Hsinchu from Feb. 26 to March 7, 2021, will have a 15-meter-high centerpiece based on the theme “Riding the Wind, Chasing Light.” The bamboo lantern uses mechanical devices to move 108 bamboo stems with the rhythm of the wind and relies heavily on glass, which Hsinchu is known for, to create a futuristic, high-tech vibe.
Source: 7totravel (7to.com.tw)
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Travel Industry Divided on Plan to Borrow to Save Tourism Sector
With the Tourism Development Fund exhausted, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau plans to borrow NT$15.17 billion over five years to save an industry badly hurt by COVID-19. Lion Travel, the country’s biggest travel agency, suggested that industry rescue and transformation programs be combined to replace the block grants of the past and prevent seeing “transformation end when the subsidies end.” Startups agreed that government aid should have a transformative effect. But the Taipei Association of Travel Agents believed that because the government was not allowing travel agents to do business, it needed to continue subsidizing all of them to ensure the retention of talent in the sector.
Source: China Times
Full article…
Travel Industry Coming Up with Creative Sidelines to Make Up for Lost Revenue
Travel businesses have lost up to 90% of their revenue because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond asking for help and vying for business at home, many are developing sidelines to offset some of their losses. Lion Travel has invested in a food and beverage business, and China Airlines has relied on carrying cargo to help it emerge as one of the few airlines in the world to make money. Businesses that were once more like “hobbies” have now become keys to survive and even prosper.
Source: CommonWealth Magazine
Full article…
Taiwanese Airlines Vying for, Getting Orders to Ship COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines have begun to be shipped around the world, and Taiwan’s two main international airlines – China Airlines and EVA Air – are starting to get orders for such services. China Airlines confirmed on Dec. 15 that it has received inquiries from several vaccine manufacturers related to their shipping plans and is currently making arrangements to meet their needs.
Source: Economic Daily News
Full article…
Ready to Go Abroad! EVA Air, China Airlines Promote Stylish Protective Gear
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, protective gear has been in huge demand. But for such apparel to attract the interest of consumers, it must be able to protect its users while also being fashionable. Taiwan’s two major airlines – EVA Air and China Airlines – have both introduced exclusive protective apparel with slick designs, but it was not immediately clear which airline’s products were proving more popular with travelers.
Source: Business Next
Full article…
Hotels Looking to Salvage Revenue Lost to Canceled, Downsized Year-end Banquets
Three of Taipei’s biggest hotel groups – the Silks Hotel Group (Regent), LDC Hotels (Palais de Chine), and My Humble House (Le Meridien and Sheraton) – rely on corporate year-end banquets for about 10%, or NT$200 million, of their annual food & beverage revenue. This year, companies are avoiding big banquets with thousands of employees because of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing hotels to find ways to “protect that 10%.” One of them has been to organize tours on Hop On, Hop Off Buses, complete with cocktails, snacks, and photo opportunities. They are also offering services that make more use of all hotel facilities rather than banquet rooms alone
Source: Business Weekly
Full article…
New Zealand, Australia to Adopt ‘Travel Bubble’ in 2021 Q1
Many countries have been discussing setting up “travel bubbles” to create travel opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Dec. 14 that New Zealand and Australia will set up a “travel bubble” starting early in 2021 that will allow citizens of each country to travel to the other without having to quarantine.
Source: Storm Media
Full article…
Media News
Social Media Marketing Trends for 2021
The pandemic has changed the way people work, shop, are entertained and interact with friends, and social media has become an even more important tool for staying in touch with others. Understanding social media marketing trends can help people build stronger relationships, and the main marketing trends for 2021 can be summarized as follows:
- The rise of socially conscious consumers:
Brands should leverage major issues such as mental health, ethnic tolerance, social welfare and environmental protection to boost participation and build connections with audiences. - Solutions for misinformation:
Beyond hoping for high numbers for followers, brands should ensure information transparency and safeguard account security. - New shopping patterns:
“Strategic shopping trends” are taking shape, as shoppers use social media to research and purchase products. Brands can use premium experiences to bring customers closer to them. - Social gaming widespread:
At a time when many people stayed home to avoid exposure to COVID-19, games have emerged as an important form of emotional support, and the number of game-oriented forums and communities is increasing. - Old-school marketing:
68% of consumers still send text messages, and voice calls are coming back, with voice search, voice notes and voice tweets all re-emerging. Also, some 55% of Americans are listening to podcasts, and podcast ads are more effective than other types of digital ads. - Re-emergence of user-generated content:
Brands continue to share user-generated content. Consumers are taking brand content and “remixing” it to suit their own ideas and preferences, generating content in new ways.
Source: Brain Magazine
Full article…
Who Is Still Watching TV? Taiwan’s Streaming Leaders Staking Out Niches
The trend toward consumers moving away from cable TV appears unstoppable as Taiwanese viewers switch to OTT (over-the-top) streaming media services. YouTube remains the favorite of traditional content producers, LINE TV has used originally produced “Boys Love” (BL) content to build a following, and Catchplay+ has capitalized on the movie market, while Netflix is using exclusive drama series to attack pay subscriber eyeballs.
資料來源：inside
Full article…
Entertainment Opportunities Post-COVID: Podcasts, OTT Dramas, Online Shows Buck the Tide
Social audio brand KKBox recently teamed up with video streaming service provider KKTV, and online ticketing service KKTix to announce the top entertainment industry trends in 2020. It said that based on data analysis that “OTT series, podcasts, and online performances” have become the top entertainment channels for viewers, and that music streaming in Taiwan has officially entered an era of high sound quality.
Source: Tech News
Full article...
YouTube’s Rankings of Top Videos, Influencers in 2020: Who Took the Top Spots?
In YouTube’s rankings of top video performers in Taiwan in 2020, the champion in the “Top Video” category was the video on home quarantine and medical treatment produced by Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control, which has received 4.62 million views to date. It was the first time a government-produced video has made and topped the rankings, and shows that YouTube has become a very important information channel in Taiwan.
The rankings for top creators reflected the variety of talent in Taiwan, covering everything from knowledge and home living channels to how foreigners see Taiwan and animated channels. Among the top 10 were three foreign creators – Hailey Richards (莫彩曦Hailey) in fifth, Ku of Ku’s Dream (Ku’s dream酷的夢) in seventh, and ggu Kim (韓勾ㄟ金針菇) in eighth. It was the first time that more than one foreign creator cracked a top 10 creator list in Taiwan.
Source: Business Next
Full article…
Tools to Help Travel Industry Recover Post-COVID: Google Launches Travel Insights with Google
With the COVID-19 pandemic still restricting global travel, Google has rolled out a “Travel Insights with Google” website (currently in English only) to help the travel industry better understand travelers’ needs and make better decisions. The platform has three main tools to help decision makers.
Destination Insights
Can clearly display the main channels through which travelers are searching for information on a particular destination and the places they are most interested in visiting. This can help government agencies assess the possibility of reopening travel on specific routes and get a better overview of what a safe reopening will look like. It can also help agencies decide which areas should be opened to potential travelers in the future.
Hotel Insights
Aimed at helping hotels of all sizes, and especially small and independent hotels, understand where demand for their hotel is coming from and figure out how to effectively identify marketing targets as the hotels plan their recoveries.
Travel Analytics Center
Only available to Google’s travel commercial partners, the Travel Analytics Center enables partners to combine their own Google account data with broader Google demand data and insights, giving them a better idea of how to manage their operations and find opportunities to reach potential visitors. It can put them in a good position to respond quickly once the pandemic ends and people start to book travel again.
Source: Inside
Full article…
Case Study
Korea Tourism Organization ‘Korea Wants to See You – Have a Ball in Daegu, Muan’
Campaign Background
When Taiwanese travel in South Korea, their preferred destinations are invariably Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island. But beyond these popular destinations, there are several other cities with special cultural characteristics that are worth exploring. The Korea Tourism Organization wanted to use this campaign to promote attractions in the areas around the Daegu and Muan airports. Its goal is to raise local consumers’ awareness of the two airports and get them to make South Korea their first overseas travel destination after the pandemic ends.
Campaign Highlights
To promote the Daegu and Muan airports, the campaign embraced the theme “Korea Welcomes You – Have a Ball in Daegu, Muan” and held virtual and in-person events. Online and offline marketing approaches were used to get more consumers to participate in activities and learn about Daegu and Muan.
Online Activities
The design concept for the event’s website revolved around the latest Korea Tourism Organization mascot to showcase the two airports and surrounding attractions. The main banners were “Daegu Airport: Tour Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do” and “Muan Airport: Enjoy Gwangju and Jeollanam-do.” The displays introducing Daegu and Muan offered expert recommendations on the best attractions, foods, and market culture.
The campaign included two lucky prize draws. The online draw challenged participants’ knowledge of Daegu and Muan by having them answer questions about local attractions. An online questionnaire was also used to understand the willingness of consumers to travel post COVID-19 and their level of knowledge about Daegu and Muan before and after the activity. Those who engaged in the online prize draw or filled in the online questionnaire were eligible to draw for 808 prizes.
Physical Event
Built on the campaign’s theme to create “Korea Welcomes You – Daegu, Muan Pop-up Party” events in Taichung and Taipei in November; the venue’s entrance recreated a boarding gate, and “boarding passes” were issued to “enter” South Korea in the blink of an eye. During the activity, participants could exchange coupons for Korean fried chicken and sticky rice cake, get their photos taken wearing traditional Korean clothes, and take pictures against a Korean background in a photo booth to show they “went” to Korea.
They got to enjoy other aspects of Korean culture, including exciting KPOP dances by big-headed Korean dolls and traditional “janggu” percussion numbers, and were given an inside look at the top attractions in Daegu and Muan, including the chance to play an interactive game guessing which airport was closer to destinations shown on the screen.
When people completed a circuit of specific airline tasks, they received an exclusive travel bag from the Korea Tourism Organization. The two activities created some buzz in the news media and drew the interest of influencers and fan groups, who spread the word.
Mobile Billboard Truck Publicity
News Media Impact
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