Taiwan tourism authorities began presenting fresh flowers to departing tourists from Hong Kong and Macao Monday as part of an effort to promote locally grown flowers, reports reaching in Hong Kong from Taipei said Monday.
The reports said a top tourism official was on hand on Monday at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, Taiwan's main gateway, to help present 505 bouquets of dazzling fresh flowers to members of outbound Hong Kong and Macao tour groups.
The official was quoted as saying that the floral presentations, which it is hoped will lure more tourists from Hong Kong and Macao, will last through June 30. Hong Kong and Macao together form Taiwan's second-largest source of tourists after Japan.
The official estimated about 390,000 tourists from Hong Kong and Macao visited Taiwan last year. "We hope that the number can increase by 10 percent to 20 percent this year," the official added.
Last year, the tourism authorities presented a box of Taiwan- grown fruit to each member of Hong Kong and Macao tour groups that departed from Kaohsiung International Airport in southern Taiwan during the period from September 15 to December 30 as a promotional measure.
( People's Daily March 26, 2002 )
