To attract more young people from other countries for the "2006 Taiwan Youth Travel Year," the National Youth Commission is working with three schools to provide the "International Youth Travel Tour Buddy Service Net."
Working with the commission are Shih Hsin University, Chang Jung Christian University and the Taiwan Hospitality and Tourism College.
Five tours have been developed: a Taste of Northern Taiwan's History, a Voyage of Northern Taiwan's Culture, the Experience Southern Taiwan's Hospitality, the Eastern Taiwan Ocean and Bike Tour and the Eastern Taiwan Historic Japanese Architecture Tour.
Students majoring in tourism and foreign languages will provide information on the local services and attractions in their area through a Tour Buddy Service Center.
However, officials fear there aren't enough volunteers to help develop the youth travel market or meet the shortage of English-speaking tour guides.
Another option being developed by the Tourism Bureau is using young Australians and New Zealanders as part-time guides. Would-be guides would have to complete a course of study in their home countries and then receive three months of training after their arrival in this country. They would be paid NT$25,000 a month.
Tourism Bureau Deputy Director General Kuo Su Tsan-yang (郭蘇燦洋) said the young Australians and New Zealanders will have a good knowledge of Taiwan because most will have completed a course of 16 hours of classroom work and 400 hours of field work before arriving.
The government has signed Working Holiday Agreements with Australia and New Zealand to issue working holiday visas to one another's citizens aged between 18 and 30 to allow them to work for up to 12 months.
Kuo Su said that to be eligible for a working holiday visa, applicants must be a passport holder of one of the countries and be able to show that they have access to at least US$4,000 in bank savings.
However, the government is considering reducing the bank funds requirement in order to attract more Australians and New Zealanders to come to Taiwan and introduce Taiwan to other English-speakers.
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