Taiwan launches free electronic travel guide

Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has tapped into the global smart phone trend, developing an English travel guide that can be downloaded from iPhones, iPads and iPod touches for free.

The product is called the Taiwan eBook and can be downloaded free through iTune and App stores. A version of the guide with an audio/video tour service from well-known Taiwanese singer, Dennis Nieh, can also be downloaded for free from the Tourism Bureau’s website, www.go2taiwan.net.

The electronic travel guide groups tourist information into five categories including ecological tours, bicycle tours, urban highlights, arts and culture.

A total of 101 scenic spots are covered in the guide, with 20 recommended travel itineraries around the island.

The Tourism Bureau has also included a comprehensive list of local phone numbers and addresses for each tourist destination within Taiwan as well as a GPS system linking to Google Maps, making travel cheaper and easier for travelers who download the guide.

Through the interactive approach and through aligning itself with the fast-growing popularity of App technology, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau hopes to attract more visitors to Taiwan.

The technology will also create a friendly and easy travel environment, encouraging tourists to travel beyond the main tourist sites and really get to know the island.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s bimonthly magazine ‘Travel in Taiwan’ will also be downloadable from www.zinio.com and can be read both from iPads and Android smart phones.