Taiwan's six remaining diplomatic allies in Latin America and the Caribbean teamed up for the first time to promote tourism at Taiwan's biggest travel fair, with President Lai Ching-te showing up personally to back them.

• Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines jointly built a shared pavilion at the Taiwan International Travel Fair in Taipei, running through Sunday.
• President Lai joined the ambassadors of all six countries at the opening, a visible show of support for Taiwan's small group of formal diplomatic partners.
• Officials said most Taiwanese travelers know little about these countries because they're far away, so the joint pavilion is meant to raise awareness and encourage more trips there.
• Taiwan's foreign affairs office also sent travel agencies to Guatemala last month to scout out local tourism sites, part of a broader push to deepen ties with these allies through tourism.
• The event highlights each country's attractions — from Belize's reefs and Guatemala's Mayan ruins to Paraguay's waterfalls and the Caribbean islands' beaches and mountains.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep leaning on tourism and cultural exchange as a way to shore up relationships with its shrinking list of diplomatic allies.