This document summarizes the Taiwan tour bus experience of an American student in Taiwan. It discusses the importance of tourism to Taiwan's economy and culture. The majority of visitors to Taiwan come from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau created tour bus routes in 2004, with half and full day tours of northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan. Common tourist types are explored along with two example itineraries - the Xitou Monster Village-Lugu Tea Farm tour and Taipei City tour. A survey of tourists found half were aware of the tour bus service, with most learning through recommendations. The conclusion calls for further surveys to improve the tourist experience.

1. An American in Taiwan:
The Tour Bus Experience
Jennifer Lin
National Taichung University
台中教育大學
Graduate Program of Sustainable Tourism & Recreation Management

2. Importance of Tourism to Taiwan
Geopolitics (政治)
– Tourism as an opportunity to export
Taiwanese culture & diplomacy
– Bypassing political isolation & Chinese
regional hegemony
Economic (經濟)
(projected statistics for 2014)
– 5.7% growth domestic employment
– 5.4% growth Taiwan’s overall GDP
– This type of growth expected to
continue for next 10 years
2

3. Visitor Arrivals by Residence (2013)
Ministry of Transportation & Communications
36%
15%
18%
15.73%
6.00%
2.80% 0.90%
Percent
Mainland China
Hong Kong/ Macao
Japan
Southeast Asia
USA/Canada
Europe
Australia/ New
Zealand
Mainland China
3

4. Introduction to Taiwan Tour Bus
(台灣觀巴)
• Taiwan Tourism Bureau
created Tour Bus in 2004
• 58 different routes: North,
Central, South, and
Eastern Taiwan
• Half-Day/ Full Day Tours
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5. Types of Tourists in Taiwan
5

6. Where did I go?
Xitou Monster Village – Lugu Tea Farm Tour
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7. Where did I go?
Xitou Monster Village – Lugu Tea Farm Tour
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8. Where did I go?
Taipei City Tour
8

9. Where did I go?
Taipei City Tour
9

10. Taiwan Tour Bus Survey
10

11. 1.Have you ever heard of Taiwan Tour
Bus?
Yes
50%
NO
50%
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12. 2.If yes, where did you hear about
Taiwan Tour Bus?
50%
5%
35%
10%
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13. 3.If you have taken Taiwan Tour Bus
before, which route did you travel on?
Never taken
before
Xitou Monster
Village Lugu
Tea Farms Tour
Taipei
City Tour
55% 5%40%
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14. Let’s test out the
Tour Bus Service together!
1) Google.com
2) Search “Taiwan Tourism”
3) Click the first link that comes up titled
“Welcome to Taiwan”
4) Scroll down to “News”
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15. Let’s test out the
Tour Bus Service together!
15
CLICK HERE!

16. Let’s test out the
Tour Bus Service together!
1. Click on “2014-06-11[Happiness Route] Your
First Stop in Taiwan – Taoyuan”
2. Click “Related Links”
3. Scroll down to “Taiwan Tour Bus (Open New
Window)”
4. This is the screen which comes up 
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17. Taiwan Shuttle Service
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18. Taiwan Shuttle Service
• Included in price: only the bus ride from point to point
• Sample Route: Taichung to Xitou Monster Village
• Easy Card accessible
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19. Taiwan Tour Bus
• Included in price: tour guide (speaks language
of your choice: English or Japanese)
• Planned Itinerary with Transportation included
• Sometimes a local meal
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20. Conclusion
• This study is just the beginning
- surveys need to be tailored for online &
physical copies
- Australian model
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21. 21
END