Los Angeles, June 9 (CNA) Taipei has been named Asia’s Best Leisure Destination for a fifth consecutive year by Global Traveler, a monthly United States-based magazine catering to frequent business and luxury travelers.
By winning the honor for a fifth year running, Taiwan also earned Quint Status, Global Traveler said Wednesday in its article announcing the winners of its 10th Leisure Lifestyle Awards in 2022.
Taipei was followed by Seoul, Phuket, Tokyo and Singapore as the top five Asian leisure destinations. Rounding out the top 10 were Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Osaka, and the island of Bali, according to the magazine.
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport finished in fourth place in the Best Airport for Layovers category, behind Istanbul Grand Airport, Miami International Airport, and Singapore Changi Airport.
The results were interesting given that Taiwan has not allowed entry to overseas tourists since putting in tight border controls in the first half of 2020 and has not allowed Taoyuan airport to be used to transit to other destinations during that period due to COVID-19.
Global Traveler did not mention if its questionnaire or awards took into account reduced travel due to the pandemic, saying only that the survey of its readers was conducted from Dec. 14, 2021 to April 30, 2022.
The survey ran in the magazine, as an insert to subscriber copies, as a direct mail questionnaire, online at globaltravelerusa.com/leisureballot and by email during the survey period, the magazine said.
Asked about the results, Shih Chao-hui (施照輝), head of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s Los Angeles office, said that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the world, American travelers have focused on health, safety, and environmental sustainability.
Taiwan enjoys a competitive advantage in those areas, he said.