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Drinking poison to quench your thirst

`The government has sacrificed the environment, as well as its citizens' quality of life, for the sake of economic growth.'

Some people in Taiwan don't want to invest in their own country and develop its value as a tourist destination. They dream about the easy money to be made from NT$50 billion (US$1.5 billion) in Chinese tourism freely flowing to Taiwan every year.

Unfortunately, you get what you pay for, and cutting corners to make a few dollars can end up costing you more than you invest.

Prior to unification, the Chinese government is willing to give Taiwan NT$50 billion per year in tourism revenue, and the Taiwanese tourism industry would prosper greatly from these large, short-term investments.

But after unification, the Chinese government would hold back that money, and the Taiwanese tourism industry would fall on hard times as soon as the cash dried up.

Long-term benefits to the tourism industry can only be generated if Taiwan invests in itself.

The only way it can attract tourists from Europe, the US, Japan and other developed countries is to improve its tourism industry. This can be accomplished by restoring the environment and ecology, as well as improving the nation's lifestyle and culture to raise its value as a tourist destination.

Don't forget that not long ago an elderly Japanese couple angrily left Puli (埔里), Nantou County, complaining about the living conditions. Even before that, the German magazine Der Spiegel referred to Taiwan as a "pigsty."

For a long time now, the government has sacrificed the environment, as well as its citizens' quality of life, for the sake of economic growth. This has naturally made Taiwan less attractive to tourists.

Public servants should resist popular trends and instead map out a strategy for sustainable development. Embarking on a path of sustainable management could help create a more stable future and ensure the long-term security and happiness of future generations.

Realizing the country's tourism vision by improving the environment and people's quality of life would be a win-win situation for Taiwanese and tourists alike, and would also help Taiwan as it strives to become one of the world's developed nations.

Who ever heard of people in modern countries that were living in pigsties?

If the government only thinks of short-term benefits and tries to attract large numbers of Chinese tourists, Taiwan could miss its chance to elevate its tourism industry to a higher level.

It would risk falling into the same trap of many other local industries which believed that their future lay in China.

If the tourism industry doesn't develop itself, it may find that Chinese will not return. For Taiwan, pursuing the projected NT$50 billion in tourism revenue from China would be like drinking poison to quench one's thirst. This would be a loss for the Taiwanese and tourists alike.

Li Ching-lieh is an associate professor in the electrical engineering department at Tamkang University.

Translated by Marc Langer
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