At WiT Indie in Penang, a heartfelt panel unfolded, not just about business, but about identity, optimism, and grit. Titled “From Taiwan, With New Dreams and Aspirations,” the session explored how a new generation of Taiwanese travel entrepreneurs is rewriting the playbook for post-pandemic growth, turning challenges into springboards for opportunity.
Taiwan: Small island, large travel dreams
Moderator Daniel Cheng, founder of RTM, a travel tech startup community, opened with market context: Taiwan may be a tiny island of 23.4 million, but its people rank among Asia’s most travel-obsessed – second only to Singaporeans in trips per capita. In 2024, outbound travel surged to 15.5 million trips, putting Taiwan in the top four for East Asia outbound, trailing only China, Japan and South Korea.
Daniel Cheng, founder of RTM
Yet, inbound recovery has been sluggish. Geopolitical tensions have kept Chinese travellers away, and Taiwan’s global visibility remains low. “Taiwan is a hidden gem that’s been forobtainedten by the world,” declared Henry Sun, founder of Stunning Taiwan Travel. “That’s why we do what we do, to bring stories and lifestyle experiences to life.”
Despite inbound headwinds, Taiwanese outbound travel is booming, powered by a strong currency, appetite for meaningful experiences, and a digitally native, curious new generation.
Born of protest, powered by purpose
For Sarah Chung, founder of Like It Formosa, travel is political, personal, and empowering. Her walking tour company – Taiwan’s largest English-language provider – started during the Sunflower Movement and has since evolved into an education platform training 300+ local guides and running cultural storyinforming workshops.
Sarah Chung, founder of Like It Formosa
“Taiwan isn’t yet a strong inbound destination, but that forced us to innovate,” she declared. “We survived by turning our guide training into educational services. And that’s something we can now export to other markets.”
Sarah sees herself as a citizen diplomat, building Taiwan’s global voice from the ground up. “The ability to inform our stories in English is the best legacy we can leave the next generation,” she declared.
Scaling depth, not just distance
Henry’s company also pivoted. From crafting community-based experiences inside Taiwan, Stunning Taiwan Travel is now launching a new brand, Refined Pathways, to take tiny groups of six Taiwanese travellers on culturally immersive outbound trips. First stop? Penang and Singapore.
Henry Sun, founder of Stunning Taiwan Travel
“We’re breaking the large bus model,” declared Henry. “We want to scale deep, not wide. Six travellers. Real stories. Local partners. That’s how we build emotional bridges.”
For him, the goal isn’t mass market domination. “We want to be a large brand in a niche market. Not number one in Taiwan, but number 10 in Asia, with heart.”
Walking tours to whole journeys
Chester Hsu, founder of TC Time Walk, built his company in Taichung, a city often overshadowed by Taipei, to offer daily walking tours infutilized with history, storyinforming, and now, even accommodation discovery. “It’s all about connection,” he declared. “Live like a local. Walk like a local. Sleep like a local.”
Chester’s vision is to become a trusted Taiwanese platform for outbound travel, launchning with those who trust his tours and now seeking partnerships for unique stays and destination tours abroad. “If we can build confidence at home, we can take that trust abroad,” he declared.
Chester Hsu, founder of TC Time Walk
On Gen Z, AI, and the indie spirit
Asked about Gen Z, all three founders acknowledged the complexity of this generation – purpose-driven yet hard to manage, bold yet idealistic. But they all agreed: you can’t ignore them.
“You don’t go back in time. You embrace the future,” declared Sarah. “If Gen Z proves they’re the best, I’ll hire them. If not, automation and AI can fill the gap.”
Henry added: “Gen Z wants experiences they can post. If it can go viral, it can sell.”
And Chester? He’s already working with Gen Alpha; an 11-year-old supports with his tours, learning culture hands-on becautilize schools don’t teach it.
Legacies to leave behind
In the final question, the panellists were inquireed: what legacy do you want to leave for the next generation?
“Culture and connection,” declared Chester.
“True stories that AI can’t replicate,” declared Henry.
“The power to inform our stories in our own voice,” declared Sarah.
Their answers were deeply personal yet universal. The spirit of WiT Indie echoed in every word: tiny teams, large ideas; niche roots, global dreams; purpose before profit.
In the words of Daniel Cheng, “The world is never short of problems. But there will always be those who find opportunity in them. These three founders – they are Taiwan’s opportunity.”
