The city of Kunshan in Jiangsu province hoped to grab a slice of the Taiwan tourism market with a promotional event in Nantou county on Dec 18. Kunshan's rich rural tourism resources were presented to Taiwan people on the day in the hope of attracting visitors.

The event was organized by the Kunshan government, Kunshan Tourism Resort (which encompasses five towns in Kunshan) and the Kunshan tourism bureau.

A waterside view at the Kunshan Tourism Resort.[Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Deputy county mayor of Nantou, Chen Zhengsheng, and Wang Yuanzhong, the chief of Nantou's tourist office attended the event, along with representatives of home stay businesses, hotels, recreation areas and the leisure agriculture and cultural creativity industries.

Chen Zhengsheng spoke at the event; as did deputy mayor of Kunshan, Tang Tuyun.

Tang said that they were there to learn about Taiwan's rural tourism experiences and try to introduce famous rural tourism brands to improve Kunshan's rural tourism management.

Kunshan Tourism Resort's deputy chief, Xu Zhenmin, introduced the resort's tourism potential and invited Taiwan's home stay operators to visit Kunshan for a business tour.

The Resort boasts five scenic towns of Zhouzhuang, Dianshan Lake, Jinxi, Qiandeng and Bacheng, each with plenty quality accommodation choices, including home stays.

The Kunshan Home Stay Association signed cooperative agreements with its Taiwan counterparts from the counties of Nantou, Taoyuan and Yilan.

The Kunshan Home Stay Association signs cooperative agreements with its Taiwan counterparts from the counties of Nantou, Taoyuan and Yilan.[Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Nantou county is located at the center of Taiwan province at the southern tip of Taichung Basin, Taoyuan in northwest Taiwan and Yilan in northeast Taiwan.

The agreements will enable Kunshan to draw on the branding and management tactics in Taiwan's home stay industry and deepen cross-Straits business cooperation.

Kunshan has benefited from its proximity to the Yangtze River Delta, the most advanced economic region in China, and has seen robust growth in recent years.

The city also benefits from its rich history, culture, and picturesque scenery and tourist destinations.

Its endeavors have been acknowledged by many national awards in green spaces construction and environment improvement. It earned the UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in 2010 and ranked first among Forbes China List of Best County-Level Cities for seven years in a row.

Kunshan has 230 home stay businesses at present, each with their own distinctions and catering to a range of budgets. The businesses served approximately 1.82 million tourists in 2014.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw