Join the 2009 Taste of Taiwan Cuisine SEE TAIWAN! TASTE THE WORLD!

TAIPEI, Taiwan--(Business Wire)--
Taiwan is renowned for its hi tech products and gourmet cuisines; in particular,
gourmet cuisine has become a major reason for international tourist travel to
Taiwan. Taiwan`s multi-cultural historical background has contributed to the
diversity of Taiwanese cuisine that ranges from local Taiwanese snacks to
various Chinese cuisines brought over by various waves of immigrants. This makes
for an exquisite menu of exotic cuisine which adds depth and variety to the
flavors of Taiwan. The organization of various international exhibitions has
resulted in frequent trade and exchange between Taiwan and the rest of the
world, further promoting Taiwanese cuisine among international business
travelers. This has become an important aspect in the development of business
tourism in Taiwan.

Each June, due to the convergence of various international exhibitions such as
COMPUTEX Taipei, Display Taiwan and FOOD Taipei, the number of business
travelers in Taiwan hit record highs. (These events are still robust with
COMPUTEX Taipei being among the top ranking in the world to actually grow in
times of recession.) Combining the main attractions for international
tourism-gourmet with COMPUTEX Taipei has become a major goal for "The Taste of
Taiwan Cuisine".

In addition, the recent influx of tourists from China has provided great
opportunities to the tourism and catering industry in Taiwan. According to
statistics, between January and April this year, more than 190,000 tourists from
China have visited Taiwan; with an average expenditure of NT$10,000 per day per
person, they have generated at least NT$10 billion in revenue. This event aims
at helping to sustain a superior tourism environment for visitors from abroad
while helping foreign guests to discover genuine Taiwan gourmet cuisine. This
year`s event has reached an unprecedented scale, with participation by 18 star
hotels and 91 restaurants, totaling 220 stores (including chain stores)!

TAITRA Secretary General Takes Lead in Exploring New Domain of Gourmet Delicacy.

In order to officially announce the start of "2009 The Taste of Taiwan Cuisine",
the event organizer, TAITRA, will be holding an opening press conference at the
Taipei International Convention Center on May 25th (Monday). In addition to
inviting representatives from different countries, together with the 7 creative
chefs from the Gourmet Passport, TAITRA Secretary General Yuen-chuan Chao will
also join the interesting performance of the "Exploring Gourmet Delicacy Stage
Play". In the play, Taiwan represents giant hors d'oeuvres of all types of
cuisines, awaiting everyone to savor and enjoy. After the press conference, 20
restaurants will join in the "Taiwan Gourmet Carnival" tasting event; each by
presenting its most representative dish. For instance, the delicious lobster
dish "Emperor`s Golden Robe" from the Jin Garden restaurant of Agora Garden,
Gordon 33 restaurant`s spicy cold dish "Sesame Eel" and other mouth-watering
dishes such as "Tender Boiled Chicken with Soy Sauce", "Fried Prawns Marinated
in Beer", "Peking Duck Skin" and "Hakka Garlic Fried Tofu". The exquisitely
prepared dishes reveal the wealth of creativity and flavor found in Taiwan that
tickles the taste buds.

A Must-Have Passport to Savor Top 100 Delicacies in Taiwan

"The Taste of Taiwan Cuisine" will officially open on June 1st and continue June
30th. In order for international business travelers to taste genuine Taiwanese
cuisine, TAITRA has again published an updated edition of "Taiwan Gourmet
Passport". The convenient, pocket-sized booklet not only gathers information on
the 220 restaurants that well experienced in catering to foreign guests, but
also offers exclusive discounts such as free drinks or desserts with every meal.
In addition, a discount of 50% is also on offer, this is equivalent to the
bargain, buy one get one free! The Gourmet Passport is definitely the most
convenient guidebook to Taiwanese delicacy, for free and fast access for
business travelers who intend to explore Taiwan`s gourmet cuisines.

The Taiwan Gourmet Passport is available at venues frequently visited by
international business travelers, such as the Taipei World Trade Center
Exhibition Hall, NANGANG Exhibition Hall and the various participating hotels.
Additionally, the passport will also be available from the Tourism Bureau`s
Tourist Service Center at Taoyuan International Airport, so that visitors may
receive information on "The Taste of Taiwan Cuisine" event the moment they
arrive in Taiwan. During "COMPUTEX Taipei" and "Food Taipei", the organizer has
also arranged various peripheral events such as cooking contests and hors
d'oeuvres tastings which all aim to reach out to even more international
business travelers to allow them to savor the flavors of Taiwan.

The increased number of participating hotels include The Grand Hyatt Taipei,
Grand Formosa Regent Taipei, The Sherwood Taipei, Ambassador Hotel, Hotel Royal
Taipei and The Landis Taipei Hotel. Other Taiwanese and Chinese cuisines include
Din Tai Fung, Green Leaf, Shinyeh, Tu Hsiao Yueh, Dian Shui Lou, Shinyeh Table
and Butterfly Dining. In addition, there are exotic cuisines such as Le ble dor,
Joyce East and Schwarzwald, making this a diverse and flavorful event. The
participants also work hand-in-hand to offer their most representative dishes as
well as price discounts in order to promote Taiwanese food to the rest of the
world. Apart from promotional emphasis of business, gourmet and travel, "The
Taste of Taiwan Cuisine" will once again make Taiwan`s gourmet industry the
driving force behind economic development and international exchange.

For event information please visit website: www.TaiwanTaste.net

TAITRA
Section 6, Exhibition Department
Te-hsiung Pai
Tel: (02)2725-5200 Ext.2874
cavan@taitra.org.tw

Copyright Business Wire 2009