Taiwan Tourism Wins Gold and Silver at HSMAI Adrian Awards for Waves of Wonder and #DanceToTaiwan Campaigns

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, February 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Taiwan Tourism Administration’s Los Angeles Office was honored with Gold and Silver HSMAI Adrian Awards, recognizing its innovative integrated marketing efforts in the highly competitive U.S. travel market. The awards ceremony took place on February 18, 2026 at the Marriott Marquis in New York’s Times Square, with hundreds of leading hospitality and tourism marketers in attendance.

These prestigious honors come on the heels of a MUSE Gold Award for Taiwan Tourism’s year-long “Waves of Wonder” campaign in Southern California, underscoring the campaign’s creative excellence and impact with both global juries and U.S. travelers.

The Gold Adrian Award celebrated Taiwan Tourism’s year-long “Waves of Wonder” campaign in Southern California, the office’s flagship initiative to launch Taiwan’s new global brand identity: “Taiwan – Waves of Wonder.”

The Silver Adrian Award recognized the #DanceToTaiwan campaign, a multi-channel program that combined influencer storytelling, user-generated content, and on-the-ground activations to turn social followers into active brand advocates.

Presented by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the Adrian Awards are among the travel industry’s most respected honors, recognizing creativity, measurable impact, and innovation in hospitality and tourism marketing across paid, earned, owned, and integrated media.

GOLD ADRIAN AWARD: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA “WAVES OF WONDER” YEAR-LONG CAMPAIGN
The Gold-winning “Waves of Wonder” campaign served as the primary annual marketing platform for the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s Los Angeles Office, bringing Taiwan’s new brand identity to life across Southern California through a mix of live events, media, and digital engagement.

Key elements included:
• Award-winning trade show presence – Taiwan earned Best in Show at the LA Travel & Adventure Show for an immersive booth experience that attracted thousands of consumers and engaged over 100 travel trade partners through a dedicated lunch-and-learn style education session.
• Flagship “Waves of Wonderland” mall takeover – A large-scale experiential installation at Westfield Century City invited Angelenos to discover Taiwan through interactive games, dance performances, cultural workshops, and themed displays, amplified by broadcast coverage that reached over 220,000 viewers.
• Pride and inclusivity – Taiwan became the first international tourism board to participate in LA Pride, showcasing Taiwan’s welcoming, LGBTQ+-friendly environment and reinforcing the message that Taiwan is an inclusive, modern, and open destination.
• Always-on social engagement – A sustained #TagMeToTaiwan giveaway series drove an eightfold increase in Instagram performance compared with Taiwan Tourism’s previous benchmarks, nurturing ongoing interest in Taiwan among U.S. travelers.

Collectively, the campaign generated:
• 200M+ digital impressions
• 5M+ engagements
• 250K+ in-person reach
• 26K+ direct participants

These activities contributed to a 10.4% year-over-year increase in U.S. inbound tourism to Taiwan, translating into tens of thousands of additional visitors and strong economic impact for Taiwan’s tourism sector. The campaign’s international recognition, including the MUSE Gold Award and now the HSMAI Gold Adrian Award, has cemented “Waves of Wonder” as a benchmark for destination marketing.

SILVER ADRIAN AWARD: #DANCETOTAIWAN INTEGRATED INFLUENCER & UGC CAMPAIGN
The Silver Adrian Award–winning #DanceToTaiwan campaign was created to bring “Waves of Wonder” to life through movement, music, and digital culture.

The initiative centered on:
• An original theme song – “Dance to the Waves of Wonder,” developed with the help of generative AI to transform campaign lyrics into a full track that creators and fans could dance to.
• An influencer content tour in Taiwan – Leading LA-based dancers filmed high-energy choreography at iconic Taiwanese locations. Their content ignited the #DanceToTaiwan challenge, encouraging followers to recreate the moves and put their own spin on the soundtrack.
A user-generated content contest – Generating over 100 fan-submitted videos and offering the chance to win flights to Taiwan, turning passive viewers into active participants and advocates.
• Real-world extensions at the Waves of Wonderland mall takeover and LA Pride Village – The dance challenge came offline with live performances and interactive stations, connecting digital audiences with in-person cultural experiences.
• Strong earned and owned media – including broadcast features and ongoing social amplification through Taiwan Tourism’s channels.

The campaign contributed to the overall performance metrics achieved by the year-long “Waves of Wonder” platform, including more than 200 million digital impressions and double-digit growth in U.S. arrivals.

Together with the MUSE Gold recognition for “Waves of Wonder,” the Adrian Awards underscore the strength of Taiwan Tourism’s integrated approach — blending creativity, inclusivity, and measurable performance across channels.

“Winning both a Gold and a Silver Adrian Award is an incredible honor for Taiwan,” said Vivian Lin, Director of the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s Los Angeles Office. “Coming right after our MUSE Gold Award for the ‘Waves of Wonder’ campaign in Southern California, this recognition shows that our work is resonating not only with international juries, but also with travelers and partners on the ground.”

“Our goal with ‘Waves of Wonder’ and #DanceToTaiwan was to show travelers in Southern California that Taiwan is not just a place you visit, but a place you can feel through music, dance, culture, and community,” she continued. “These awards recognize the power of collaboration between our local partners, creators, and the travel trade, and they reaffirm that Taiwan’s story resonates deeply with U.S. audiences.”

“As we celebrate this wave of recognition, we remain focused on what matters most: inspiring more travelers to discover Taiwan’s night markets, mountain trails, coastal scenery, and vibrant cities for themselves. With signature events such as the upcoming 2026 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Chiayi, along with creative incentive programs like the “Enter Taiwan, Enjoy a Gift” scheme for transit passengers, we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from the United States in the coming years.”

For related photos and files, please visit: bit.ly/TaiwanWinsAdrianAwards

ABOUT TAIWAN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION
The Taiwan Tourism Administration (TTA) is the official government agency of Taiwan (R.O.C.) responsible for domestic and international tourism policy development and execution. The Southwestern U.S. market is managed by the Los Angeles office of TTA. The marketing slogan currently in use for Taiwan is "Waves of Wonder." The official ambassador of TTA is OhBear, a cartoon Formosan Black Bear, the national animal of Taiwan.

For more information about Taiwan tourism, please visit the official website of the Taiwan Tourism Administration: eng.taiwan.net.tw

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Alex Trup
Purple Media
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