Business trip guide - Taipei

Where to stay during your business visit:

When visiting Taipei on business, we suggest The Okura Prestige Taipei hotel. This business hotel is in the city center and boasts excellent reviews and ratings on Trip Advisor for aspects such as cleanliness and service. It is conveniently located only a couple of minutes away from the underground and Shinkong Mitsukoshi, a modern department store.

If you seek luxury during your stay in Taipei, Rene Mayer, Assistant Global Director of Sales at Regent Hotels & Resorts suggest its brand, The Regent Taipei, for its long-standing history of being the most prominent luxury hotel in the city. The large rooms, convenient location in the city, wide array of restaurants and friendly staff makes it second to none".

He also suggests: "Just Sleep Hotels are great for those on a budget as they are located near MRT stations and have all the comforts and conveniences you need without the fuss."

Let's speak logistics

Moving around the capital is cheap and convenient due to the affordable underground and taxi system. We suggest our Clients not to try and drive in Taipei unless they have lived in the city - there are just too many scooters to avoid.

As we concluded, taxis are cheap and probably the easiest way to get around. Meter starts at just US$2.50. Furthermore, the subway or underground is a convenient way to access many of the tourist attractions and business districts.

You do not need to speak with any ticketing officer to get a ticket. Modern auto ticketing machines can be easily found all around the underground stations. Single-journey ticket prices range from less than US$1 to approximately US$3. Conveniently, full one-day pass can be bought from a service booth for US$6, which offers unlimited travels on all city lines within one day.

Places of interest:

Taipei is not considered an exciting city for tourists but there are some really great tourist attractions. Museum-wise, the city offers multiple options, including: i) Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall; ii) the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and iii) the National Palace Museum which burrows deep into China and Taiwan's political history. Those who would like to spend more time with nature, can go to the Taipei zoo, enjoy the cable car (Maokong Gondola) along the treetops and drink a hot/cold tea at the teahouses around the forest.

As with many other Asian cities, Taiwan is famous for its night (wet) markets. For example, Lingiang Street Night Market, is popular with both tourists and locals due to the exotic meals, scary beverages and souvenirs.

Business Etiquette:

Similar to Japan, businesses in Taiwan are often SME's which run in the family. Building concrete relationships with the family is considered extremely important. Consequently, foreign entrepreneurs need to advance slowly, while showing respect, courtesy and patience.

Age is deemed as a sign of seniority and as such, we recommend the negotiations to be led by someone more seasoned. Keep in mind business cards are important in Taiwanese business culture and, if possible prepare a Taiwanese print at the back. As with other Asian cultures, always hand the business cards with both hands and do take your time to study in detail your counterpart's card presented to you as a sign of admiration.

Useful Links:

More on Work Travel: http://www.exmag.sg/travel/Work-trip-to-Taipei-Our-guide-to-the-city-9802.ece

Company Registration In Taiwan: http://www.healyconsultants.com/taiwan-company-registration/