A New Delhi trade roadshow brought Taiwanese destination management companies and EVA Air together with Indian travel professionals to promote leisure holidays, cruise itineraries and MICE opportunities ahead of the airline’s planned December launch.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration is stepping up engagement with India’s outbound travel market, using a New Delhi roadshow to showcase the destination’s leisure, cruise and business-events offering ahead of new nonstop air connectivity.
Held on 9 October 2026, the event brought together Indian travel trade representatives, Taiwanese destination management companies (DMCs) and EVA Air, providing a platform for industry partners to discuss destination promotion, product development and opportunities to expand travel from India.
Participating Taiwanese companies included Apple Travel Service, Welcome Wonder Travel Service and Top Holidays. Indian industry representatives included ATD Reps, representing Good Time Vacations, and TravClan, representing StarDream Cruises.
A key focus was EVA Air’s planned launch of five weekly nonstop flights between Taipei and Delhi from 1 December 2026. The service is expected to give Indian travellers a direct air link to Taiwan and provide travel companies with additional options for packaging holidays and corporate itineraries.
According to Angus Tsai, vice-president of Top Holidays, corporate travel has been an established segment, driven by factory visits, conferences and business events. The company now sees an opportunity to grow leisure travel as connectivity improves.
Tsai said Taiwan received around 30,000 Indian visitors annually, with corporate travellers accounting for the larger share of the market. He said the longer-term ambition was to increase leisure travel’s share to 70%, with corporate travel making up the remaining 30%.
Leisure travel and packaged itineraries gain traction
Travel trade representatives reported stronger interest in Taiwan, with direct connectivity expected to support further growth. Veni Gupta, business head at TravClan, said the company had recorded an estimated 30–40% increase in conversions across hotels, flights and holiday packages in 2026. She anticipated further interest in the fourth quarter as the new service approaches launch.
Gupta said the company was working to make Taiwan easier for Indian agents to sell by combining airfares, accommodation and cruise experiences into packaged itineraries. StarDream Cruises operates sailings in the region aboard Star Navigator, with itineraries of two, three and five nights covering multiple ports.
The cruise offering could also create opportunities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), as well as group celebrations and weddings. Gupta highlighted the potential to combine cruise experiences with hotel stays and destination visits to create more comprehensive packages.
MICE remains an important market
Taiwan’s business-events sector continues to be a key selling point for Indian travel companies. Emily Chiu, inbound director at Apple Travel Service, said corporate groups were an important source of demand as companies looked for new destinations for meetings and incentive programmes. She estimated that demand from India had grown by around 20% year on year.
Chiu also identified opportunities to encourage longer stays, with Taipei serving as a starting point for itineraries that include central Taiwan and other regions across the island.
Ameet Deodhar of ATD Reps, representing Good Time Vacations, reported 20–25% growth in the company’s Taiwan business compared with the previous year. He said the market was moving from enquiries towards confirmed bookings, including group departures planned for December.
Beyond Taipei, Deodhar highlighted Yilan’s hot-spring resorts and Sun Moon Lake, known for its boat experiences and nearby Indigenous cultural attractions. Taiwan’s cherry blossom season was another potential draw for Indian travellers looking for alternatives to more established destinations in East Asia.
Building awareness beyond business travel
The roadshow reflects Taiwan’s effort to broaden its appeal in India beyond the corporate and MICE segments. Destination partners are promoting the island’s mix of urban culture, nature, hot springs, cruises and seasonal experiences to encourage leisure travellers to consider longer, multi-stop itineraries.
With the planned Delhi–Taipei service offering a direct connection from December, the tourism administration and its industry partners are looking to translate increased destination awareness into bookings. The next phase will depend on the availability of competitive packages, effective trade distribution and the performance of the new air link.
