Travel Companies Target Online Expo Demand with Flight and Destination Deals

Preface

The 2026 ITF Taipei International Travel Fair, described as Taiwan’s largest travel fair, is scheduled to run from November 6 to November 9. Before the event opens, major tourism and airline companies have already launched online travel-fair campaigns. The timing, alongside typhoons and a long holiday period, has helped spark a surge in travel purchases this weekend, with strong interest in both air tickets and themed tours. This article outlines travel trends reported by Lion Travel (雄獅, 2731-TW), as well as flight offers and capacity updates from EVA Air (長榮航, 2618-TW) and China Airlines (華航, 2610-TW). Together, these developments point to resilient demand for winter trips, evolving preferences for longer and more experience-focused itineraries, and airlines’ efforts to promote popular regional and long-haul routes.

Lazy bag

Winter tour bookings at Lion Travel are up 3成 compared with last year, with more than 6成 of existing members returning to book. Travelers are prioritizing the purpose of a trip over the destination, with hot springs, food, and snowy landscapes leading Japanese winter-tour themes. Longer Japanese tours and European bookings are also gaining momentum. Meanwhile, EVA Air is offering selected fares from 82折起, and China Airlines is promoting popular routes from 76折起. Both airlines highlight routes to Asia, Australia, and other long-haul destinations, while China Airlines is adding flights to Australia and New Zealand routes from October 25.

Main Body

The approaching 2026 ITF Taipei International Travel Fair is already influencing booking activity. Although the event itself is scheduled for November 6 to November 9, large tourism operators and airlines have begun their online campaigns in advance. The sales push coincides with typhoons and a long holiday period, and travel purchases have picked up this weekend. Both air tickets and themed travel packages are drawing attention, suggesting that customers are considering not only where to go but also the type of experience they want from a trip.

Lion Travel says the number of customers booked for winter trips this year has increased by 3成 compared with last year. The company attributes the growth mainly to more stable airfares and returning customers: more than 6成 of its existing members have booked again. The pattern suggests that price stability may be helping travelers plan ahead, while customer loyalty is contributing to demand. Rather than selecting a destination alone, travelers are increasingly focused on the purpose of their journeys and the experiences they hope to have.

That shift is particularly apparent in travel to Japan. More than 7成 of travelers heading to Japan are choosing winter trips built around three themes: hot springs, food, and snowy landscapes. These interests emphasize activities and seasonal experiences, rather than simply visiting a particular city or region. For tour providers, this creates opportunities to design itineraries around specific interests, while allowing travelers to connect a destination with a clear reason for visiting.

Trip duration is also changing. Lion Travel observes that some short-haul travelers are choosing to stay longer and travel at a more relaxed pace. The number of group travelers taking trips to Japan lasting 6天以上 has increased by 4成. This development indicates a preference among some travelers to spend more time at a destination rather than compressing visits into a brief schedule. In Southeast Asia, the company is seeing a move toward vacation styles that place greater importance on accommodation, including stays at five-star hotels and resorts. These choices point to demand for trips where the stay itself is a central part of the experience.

Long-haul travel is also gaining ground. International connecting flights and route networks have gradually recovered, while ticket prices have become more stable. Against that backdrop, Lion Travel reports that bookings for Europe have grown by 6成. Some customers are securing places as early as six months in advance, reflecting the appeal of planning ahead for longer itineraries. The company identifies the Northern Lights in Northern Europe and New Year’s Eve in Sydney as particularly popular options. These examples span very different experiences, but both offer travelers a distinctive seasonal occasion around which to organize a trip.

Looking ahead, Lion Travel is optimistic about demand during the winter and Lunar New Year travel periods. It expects sales generated by this wave of online travel-fair activity to rise by double digits year over year. The forecast reflects the company’s view that demand is being supported by several factors at once: steadier airfares, returning members, interest in longer stays, and growing appetite for experience-led travel. It is an expectation rather than a confirmed result, but it offers an indication of how the company sees the current booking cycle.

Airlines are using their online campaigns to put specific routes and prices in front of travelers. EVA Air says its online travel fair is underway, with selected routes priced from 82折起, before tax. For customers seeking short getaways, the carrier lists fares from Taoyuan to Hong Kong starting at 3280元, from Taoyuan to Seoul at 6059元, and from Taoyuan to Okinawa at 6640元. These offers cater to travelers looking for relatively short trips and destinations that can suit a brief break.

Japan remains a favored destination in EVA Air’s offering. The airline lists its Songshan–Haneda route from 11305元, also before tax. For long-haul travel, it highlights Taoyuan–Delhi from 13940元, Taoyuan–Brisbane from 15334元, Taoyuan–Vienna from 22950元, and Taoyuan–San Francisco from 27000元, with the San Francisco fare stated as tax-inclusive. The range covers destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, giving travelers options across multiple trip lengths and regions. As with any fare campaign, the stated starting prices and tax treatment should be read according to the specific terms attached to each route.

EVA Air is also planning an in-person exhibition space themed around an “Indian palace.” The display is intended to celebrate the launch of its Taoyuan–Delhi service, which is scheduled to begin on December 1. The campaign therefore connects its promotional presentation with a route milestone, drawing attention to the new service while supporting the airline’s wider travel-fair activity.

China Airlines is promoting selected popular routes at fares from 76折起, before tax. Listed Australia and New Zealand fares include Taipei–Brisbane from 15957元 and Taipei–Sydney from 16188元. The airline also says that fares for Taipei–Melbourne and Taipei–Auckland are both under 18000元. For shorter trips in Asia, its advertised fares include Taipei–Cebu from 3354元 and Taipei–Busan from 5994元. These prices add to the range of promotional options available during the online travel-fair period, although the applicable conditions may vary by route.

Alongside its fare campaign, China Airlines is expanding capacity on Australia and New Zealand routes from October 25. Sydney service will increase to 7班 per week, Brisbane service to 6班 per week, and Melbourne service to 5班 per week. The added flights provide more scheduled capacity on routes that also feature in the airline’s promotional offers. Taken together, the fare announcements and service increases show how airlines are using the travel-fair season both to stimulate bookings and to support demand with more frequent service.

Overall, the travel-fair activity reflects a market in which travelers are responding to stable pricing and looking for trips with a defined theme or purpose. Short-haul breaks remain part of the picture, but longer stays in Japan, resort-focused travel in Southeast Asia, and early planning for European journeys are also prominent. For airlines, a mix of discounted fares, route launches, and increased frequencies provides several ways to engage customers. The booking figures and offers reported by the companies describe current trends and campaign details, while actual availability and final ticket prices remain subject to each operator’s terms.

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