Taiwan sends travel agents to Eswatini to boost local tourism, promote exchanges

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) A group of Taiwanese travel agents has concluded an eight-day government-organized mission to the Kingdom of Eswatini aimed at exploring the ally's tourism resources and potential for bilateral cooperation, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

The group comprised 17 participants, including eight representatives from the Travel Agent Association of ROC, Taiwan, and nine from local travel agencies. They visited the southern African nation to learn firsthand about its tourist attractions, MOFA said.

During their stay, the group met with Eswatini's Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta-Simelane and experienced traditional handicraft and dance performances.

The itinerary also included visits to Eswatini tribes, an open-range zoo, and Sibebe -- the world's second-largest granite monolith -- to better understand opportunities for tourism collaboration between the two countries, MOFA said in a press release.

MOFA said the mission was organized to promote Eswatini's tourism industry and deepen Taiwan-Eswatini cooperation to encourage closer people-to-people exchanges.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, established formal diplomatic ties with Eswatini on Sept. 6, 1968, the day the latter gained independence.

Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa and the only country on the continent that formally recognizes Taiwan.