"The Best Trip in the World" Contest : Taiwan Explorers Wanted

Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has recently announced "The Best Trip in the World" contest hoping for reaction similar to Australia’s “Best Job in the World". Seeing the still weak international interest in Kaohsiung’s World Games 2009 I have some doubts on how popular this would be, but any big project to attract more visitors to Taiwan is very welcome and it’s about time someone would try something on a slightly larger scale even if it is imitation other projects.

Here are the details from the press release (thanks to @davidonformosa @cyrixhero for tweeting this) :

Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s "The Best Trip in the World" Contest: Win an All-Expenses Paid One-Month Tour of Taiwan – One of the World’s Best Kept Secrets

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – If you’ve missed the chance to compete for Australia’s “Best Job in the World,” don’t miss the opportunity to win Taiwan’s “Best Trip in the World” contest! The Taiwan Tourism Bureau is inviting people from around the world to form their own teams of at least two people, one of whom must be a foreign national, to come up with a money-saving, yet creative four-day itinerary for a trip in Taiwan.

Fifty teams that come up with the best itineraries will be selected and will each receive NT$7,000 (approx. US$212) per day for up to four days (NT$28,000, approx. US$848, in total), to spend during their trip in Taiwan. The teams will also have a chance to win the grand prize – NT$1,000,000 (approx. US$30,000) to travel in Taiwan for a month!

To let more people around the world know that Taiwan is a fantastic place to travel, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau is launching “The Best Trip in the World” contest on its official website on May 22, along with contest rules and details.

Interested teams can enter the contest online from June 1 to June 30 by filling out the “Team Entry Form” in English, Chinese or Japanese; submitting an itinerary, called “Plan for Team Travel in Taiwan,” which should include a clear theme for their tour; and uploading a short video pitch introducing their team members on the contest website.

The Bureau will announce the 50 selected teams on July 10. The 50 teams must then travel to Taiwan and complete their four-day trip based on their itinerary, before the Aug. 31 deadline.

During their trip in Taiwan, each of the 50 teams must produce a short video and write a 200-word blog entry about their activities each day and post them on the contest website. Online readers can vote for their favorite team. Any of the 50 participating teams will also have an opportunity to win a four-day, three-night hotel package plus flights for two people so they can travel to Taiwan again at a later time.

In addition, after the 50 teams complete their travels in Taiwan, they must post an 800-word travelogue accompanied by a 3 to 5-minute video covering the highlights of their trip by Sept. 30. Once completed, they will then be eligible to compete in the second stage of the contest – “NT$1,000,000 to Travel in Taiwan”- in which they can win NT$1,000,000 (US$30,000) to travel on this island for a month.

The team that wins this contest will be selected partly through online voting, which will be conducted from Oct. 1 to 30. Votes received online will be a judging criterion. Final selection of the winning team will be made by a committee organized by the Bureau and the winner will be announced on Nov. 15.

What are you waiting for? Hurry and gather up your teammates to travel to Taiwan! For contest details, please visit: http://www.TaiwanBestTrip.net .

Who’s eligible?

You are eligible if you…

• Love to explore exotic cultures, challenge your physical strength and endurance, take pictures, write and travel.
• Are a blog writer or a traveler who runs a personal blog.
• Are a foreign national who meets the qualifications listed above.
• Travel with one or more partners ( You, or at least one of your partners, must possess a foreign nationality ).
• Preferably have good audio-visual editing skills.

(Hey guys, hate to mention this, but the site needs proofreading. Some English mistakes in there)

Come to think of it, Taiwan bloggers – me included- have been doing this for absolutely free for a LONG time with little recognition from the bureau.

So, here’s a tip for the Taiwanese – get the Taiwan expat bloggers together for a big party-conference, invite some big international blogger celebrities covering travel, business, & politics, invite lots of international media to cover the event, engage all possible social media channels with a team that knows what it’s doing, and you’re bound to create some sort of international buzz. I know a few Taiwan bloggers who’d be happy to help out to make this work.

As for you readers, this is a terrific opportunity. Taiwan is absolutely gorgeous. If you need help with the itinerary, let me know. Go and apply now! ^_^