The International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) has accepted the Chinese Taipei Youth Hostel Association of Taiwan as a member, a spokesman for the local association said yesterday.
The federation's members agreed unanimously to Taiwan's entry into the federation at its 46th annual global conference held in the Swiss town of Davos on Sunday, the spokesman said.
Noting that the local hostel association was the first organization to promote backpacking in Taiwan, the spokesman said that with formal IYHF membership, Taiwan will be able to engage in formal dialogue with the international community and offer Taiwan's members more travel information and discounts.
In addition to accepting Taiwan as a member, the federation accepted membership applications from five other countries, increasing the total number of member countries from 63 to 69 and the travel destinations on offer.
The spokesman added that participants at the conference also outlined three key areas for improvement -- upgrading the quality but not the cost of accommodation, raising the image of the federation through effective marketing and offering more language options in its Web sites to make online reservations more efficient and international.
The IYHF was established in 1909 with the goal of promoting cultural exchange and cultivating a global view among youths through international travel.
In order to allow youths to backpack around the world on a budget, the federation charges per bed instead of by room, saving backpackers 40 percent to 60 percent on lodging.
The federation currently manages over 3.4 million beds in 4,000 youth hostels in 85 countries, which attract some 340 million people annually.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS