Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the 100 Fun Things To Do In Taiwan contest that was held in the early part of 2011. I ended up placing eighth out of  400 contestants, 50 of whom were awarded cash prizes betweeen NT$3,000 and NT$50,000.

Participants had to write about their favorite fun thing to do in under 100 words and submit five photos. My entry, Postcards from Penghu, received a whopping 700+ votes, and I’ve been running into folks all over Taiwan who said that they voted for me, so thank you, all of you, for your support! John and I attended the awards ceremony at Caesar Park Hotel near Taipei Main Station in Taipei this morning. Here I am with my NT$18,000 cheque. I received a cash payment (minus 20% tax) at the end of the ceremony. I’m putting the money towards a new camera lens. JOY!

On another note, I am impressed with how Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has been stepping up the ante in their efforts to improve tourism in Taiwan. This isn’t the first competition they’ve held in the past few years to increase tourism in Taiwan. In 2009, they followed Australia’s contest The Best Job in the World by hosting a homegrown competition entitled The Best Trip in the World, in which travelers from countries all over the world formed teams and put together a 4-day itinerary for travel in Taiwan. In fact, My Several Worlds sponsored one of those teams, Formosa Adventurers, during that competition.

The 100 Fun Things To Do In Taiwan contest was launched in early January along with another tourism project that offers a promotional package exclusively for visitors from North America. From now through to June 30, 2011, visitors can download a free US$100 travel voucher from www.go2taiwan.net. These vouchers are activated once the visitor presents a valid US or Canadian passport and boarding pass from the promotional period. The vouchers offer discounts on a variety of sights, activities and food, with special discounts and freebies for things like sightseeing tours, free airport pick-up/drop-off, and bike rentals.