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🔗 Tune into the Reisen Reisen Taiwan episodes here
What happens when Germany’s most popular travel podcast, “Reisen Reisen,” is paired with a tailor-made initiative for a storytelling paradise like Taiwan? A campaign that resonates far beyond its release date.
The Rise of Podcasting – From iPod to Influence
But before we jump into it, let’s understand what podcasts are and what strengths they have in comparison to their traditional media counterparts:
The term podcast is a blend of “iPod” and “broadcast”, coined in 2004 by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian. While the technology’s origins date back to 2003, its breakthrough came in 2005, when Apple integrated podcasts into iTunes, making the format accessible to the mainstream.
Today, podcasts are an established and rapidly growing medium. As of 2024, over 3.3 million podcast series with nearly 200 million episodes were available worldwide. According to eMarketer, around 584 million people now listen to podcasts each month – a 6.8% increase from the previous year.
But what makes podcasts so appealing to listeners? It’s a combination of on-demand access, topic depth, and mobility – listeners tune in while driving, exercising or doing chores. This flexibility has made podcasts particularly popular in the DACH region: in Germany and Switzerland for example, 43% of adults now listen to them regularly – up from just 16% in 2016. (cf. ARD/ZDF Online Study 2023 & Summary of IGEM Digimonitor 2023)
In contrast, radio, the closest counterpart on the side of traditional media, has lost some its appeal among younger audiences. Broadcasts are tied to fixed schedules that may not align with listeners’ busy routines. Apart from that, radio content is often passively consumed. Podcasts, on the other hand, are intentional. People choose them – and they listen with focus, making it a format with virtually no spreading loss.
Podcasts and Tourism: A Natural Fit
Tourism is about emotional connection – about inspiring people to imagine themselves in a place they’ve never been. Few formats deliver this better than podcasting. The long-form, personal tone and high trust in hosts make it ideal for storytelling that sticks.
In the German-speaking market, Reisen Reisen – Der Podcast is the benchmark. With over 8 million downloads, an average listen-through rate of over 80%, and a thriving Instagram and newsletter community, it’s the largest independent travel podcast in the DACH region. Its audience is educated, urban, and passionate about discovery – making it a perfect fit for destination marketing.
Why Podcasts Were the Perfect Match for Taiwan
For our client, the Taiwan Tourism Administration, podcasting wasn’t just a random decision – it was a strategic answer to a communication challenge. Awareness of Taiwan in the German-speaking market is still developing. Traditional advertising often lacks the emotional weight or depth to convince audiences to choose a faraway, lesser-known destination.
What has worked best for Taiwan in the past is word-of-mouth recommendation (in German: Mund-Propaganda). When travelers share personal stories about Taiwan, their enthusiasm is contagious. This style of communication aligns perfectly with the podcast format, where hosts feel like trusted friends. Their assessments carry weight. Their enthusiasm is sincere. And their listeners act on what they hear.
For Taiwan, podcasting wasn’t just “on trend” – it was the logical answer.
At KLEBER Group, We Don’t Just Watch Trends – We Use Them Strategically
We see media formats not as trends to chase but as tools to help our clients to stand out from the crowd. With podcasting, the opportunity was clear: strong narrative, high engagement, long-term visibility – all tied together in an emotional, trusted format resembling a friendly recommendation.
But instead of “just” booking a slot, we built a comprehensive campaign.
The Strategy: More Than Just a Paid-For Measure
We partnered with Reisen Reisen – Der Podcast to create a campaign that extended far beyond a single episode. We managed to get the most out of the regular booking rate for a single episode by negotiating a highly efficient and value-rich package:
- Two full podcast episodes (each around 60-90 minutes)
- One host travelling to Taiwan with a custom itinerary tailored to his listener’s interest
- Extensive amplification via Reisen Reisen’s Instagram (28k+ followers) and newsletter (60% opening rate)
- A guest article for Taiwan Tourism’s website by host Jochen Schliemann to expand the narrative on the topic of “individual travel”
- Special agreements with multiple Taiwan stakeholders to enrich the story
The result: a 360° storytelling experience across audio, social, and editorial channels.
Content that Travels: Taipei and Beyond
Two episodes took listeners across Taiwan – from Taipei’s must-see attractions and night markets to the tranquil shores of Sun Moon Lake and the high-altitude trains of Alishan Mountain. One episode focused entirely on Taipei – its food culture, transport, sights and cultural highlights. The second painted a broader picture of Taiwan’s west coast.
To show how easy and safe independent travel can be, the host, Jochen Schliemann, navigated much of the country alone using public transport – even reaching the remote Shitoushan temple complex all by himself. This conveyed an essential message: Taiwan is accessible, even off the beaten path.
He stayed at everything from luxury wellness resorts to monastic dorms and quirky guesthouses, each offering a new angle to highlight. Carefully coordinated meetings with tourism reps and even a German-speaking monk added context, while random encounters – such as local elderly ladies giving Jochen a ride after a missed bus – added not only soul but meaning.
The Impact: Reach, Emotion, and Authenticity
According to Reisen Reisen, the Taipei episode released at the end of March 2025, has already surpassed 20,000 listeners after only 2 month – with strong long-tail potential, as podcast episodes remain discoverable and relevant long after publication. The second episode, recently released in mid-June, is continuing to build reach as well.
But beyond metrics, the emotional resonance was exceptional. Jochen, who has travelled to over 100 countries, called Taiwan “a destination that touched me deeply.” He ranked its food among the best in Asia and even said it might challenge Japan as his personal favourite destination. Powerful quotes that are – essentially – invaluable!
His co-host Michael played the ideal counterpart – curious, witty, and always prompting Jochen’s stories in just the right way. Together, they made Taiwan not just sound interesting – they made it feel familiar, accessible, inspiring, and worth discovering.
The Takeaway: Turning Listeners into Travellers
With this campaign, KLEBER Group has shown what’s possible when deep storytelling meets smart planning. We didn’t just get mentions. We built narratives. We didn’t just chase reach. We created relevance in accordance with Taiwan’s most effective way of promotion – verbally, with stories, through personal recommendation! The avalanche of positive feedback on Reisen Reisen’s social media channels are proof of it!
Podcasting has redefined how and where people engage with content. For tourism, it offers a way to be heard, remembered, and chosen deliberately. In Taiwan’s case, we helped a destination find its voice – and ensured that tens of thousands of people were truly listening.
Credits: © Picture courtesy of Reisen Reisen – Der Podcast
