The government is committed to fostering Taiwan’s potential-laden tourism sector by diversifying visitor sources and further upgrading the country’s welcoming travel environment, according to Vice President Chen Chien-jen Nov. 23.
 
Strengthening public-private sector collaboration is at the heart of these efforts, Chen said. To enhance the country’s global brand, relevant authorities are communicating closely with tour operators nationwide across such areas as marketing strategies, tourism packages, the integration of regional resources and the streamlining of visa application procedures, he added.
 
Chen made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the four-day Taipei International Travel Fair. Organized by the Taiwan Visitors Association, the event features more than 1,700 booths by exhibitors from 60 countries and territories.
 
According to the vice president, Taiwan’s tourist environment has garnered growing recognition in recent years. Examples of this include an article in July by CNN Travel on the most beautiful local destinations, as well as a list of 10 reasons to visit the country published in 2017 by London Evening Standard, he said.
 
Taiwan must seek to build on this progress and overcome recent challenges to sector development by accelerating the shift toward higher quality visitor experiences, Chen said. This approach can help spread tourism benefits to every region and spotlight the diversity of the nation’s cultural attractions, food and scenery, he added.
 
Statistics from the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications show that Taiwan welcomed 10.74 million visitors in 2017, with China, New Southbound Policy countries and Japan the top three sources, in that order.
 
A key plank of President Tsai Ing-wen’s national development strategy, the NSP seeks to enhance Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (SFC-E)

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