Warmest welcometo ITF delegates

On behalf of the Tourism Bureau, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to the delegates who have come from all over the world to be here for the opening of the 10th Taipei International Travel Fair. As Taiwan's largest international travel show ITF has always striven for professionalism and high service quality, and this is a major reason why it attracts people from five continents every year to engage in exchange, observation and study, and the joint promotion of travel products with the aim of generating more business opportunities in the tourism industry.

The land area of Taiwan encompasses both the tropical and subtropical zones, and is thus rich in ecological resources. We have 150,000 species of plants and animals in an environment that is compact, complex, and full of natural beauty at the same time. In Taiwan, you can travel just an hour or two and find yourself in a completely different world.

On our east coast, for example, you can enjoy fantastic coastal scenery with beaches and coral, then travel just a few kilometers inland to an alpine wonderland, and then drive another hour or so to luxuriate in health-giving hot-spring baths.

A flight of less than an hour from Taipei takes you to the romantic tropical paradise of Kenting; if you are more culturally inclined, you can take a short bus ride to the spectacular National Palace Museum and sigh over the priceless artistic treasures of ancient China.

Our nights are just as interesting as our days. You can take in performances by world-class musicians and performing artists at the National Theater and National Concert Hall, or catch a stage show at the new Red House or Taipei Eye theaters.

Or, after a sumptuous dinner in one of Taipei's outstanding Chinese restaurants, you can take a stroll through a crowded night market or put yourself on the stage as you sing at a popular karaoke parlor. The choices are endless. While you are doing these things you will enjoy the warm hospitality for which Taiwan's people are known, and you will notice our high educational standards and the small gap that separates our rich and our poor.

One of the most important features of the Tourism Bureau's efforts is the selection of 12 major local festival events each year for strengthened planning and promotion. Our aim in this is to push our unique local cultural activities onto the international stage. Whenever you come to Taiwan, you will find one of these enchanting events scheduled for that month.

The Taipei International Travel Fair has succeeded in enhancing Taiwan's international image, and has contributed greatly to the promotion of tourism exchange and the heightening of travel quality. Despite the economic downturn that is affecting the whole world today, ITF remains one of the biggest and most important travel fairs in Asia.

In line with the Executive Yuan's naming of tourism as a strategic industry for priority development, the Tourism Bureau will continue striving to promote international tourist exchange and cooperation, and to make Taiwan's rich tourism resources accessible to the people of the world.