President Tsai Ing-wen said Feb. 9 that the government would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to boost Taiwan’s tourism industry, outlining a three-pronged plan for achieving this goal and promoting the country as one of the leading travel destinations in Asia.
The local tourism industry is set to become one of Taiwan’s main economic drivers, as well as an invaluable platform for expanding its international exchanges, Tsai said, citing the country’s record 10.69 million foreign visitor arrivals last year.
Tsai made the comments at the Tourism Festival awards ceremony in Taipei City. Organized by the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the awards honor the contributions of organizations and individuals to the development of Taiwan’s tourism industry.
During the ceremony, Tsai elaborated on the government’s three-pronged plan for bolstering the local tourism industry.
First, public sector resources will be distributed among northern, southern, eastern and western Taiwan so as to ensure the balanced development and promotion of distinct tourism elements in each city and county, she said. This will enable the central and local governments to cooperate more effectively in using resources throughout the four regions, she added.
Second, the government will realign its related policies to better meet the needs of the nation’s tourism industry, establishing conditions conducive to the emergence of a wide range of cross-industry developments. And third, important resources such as Taiwan’s diverse cuisines, cultures and scenic sites are to be fully utilized so as to diversify markets and create more innovative approaches, the president added.
The Tourism Festival coincides with Taiwan Lantern Festival—one of the country’s major annual celebrations. This year’s event will be staged Feb. 11-19 in Yunlin County, western Taiwan, with the local government expecting 10 million visits generating NT$8 billion (US$247.8 million) to NT$10 billion in tourism revenues.
This year’s main lantern of the festival is a 23-meter-high display shaped like a rooster, which is the auspicious animal of the current lunar year. Boasting 19,000 sets of circuits for light-emitting diode, or LED, lights and 12 million pixels, the lantern will be erected in Huwei Township next to Yunlin high-speed rail station.
Launched in Taipei City in 1990, Taiwan Lantern Festival has been held at a different locations every year since 2001. The event underscores Taiwan’s cultural vibrancy, as evidenced by the wide range of activities hosted around the nation. (KWS-E)
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