The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) yesterday announced the launch of a program to promote local specialty products during the Lunar New Year shopping season.
The effort is expected to generate NT$30 million (US$1 million) in revenue for the sector, the ministry said.
According to Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang (施顏祥), the program includes a series of trade fairs featuring local specialty products showcased by 500 suppliers.
In addition, 12 bus tour routes have been organized in cooperation with Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport, covering 50 local communities known for their iconic specialties, Shih said.
Shih said the ministry has been promoting a “One Town, One Product” program for 20 years. To date, a total of 127 townships nationwide have developed products representative of their respective characteristics and cultures.
At the same time, 110 specialty shopping districts have been established around Taiwan, which has been very helpful in enhancing local economic development, Shih said.
In related news, Tourism Bureau Director-General Janice Lai (賴瑟珍) said amusement parks brought in remarkable revenue last year and are ready for the Lunar New Year holiday.
According to Lai, the number of visitors to Taiwan’s 24 amusement parks last year reached a record high of 9.8 million, bringing in NT$6.2 billion. Both visitor numbers and revenue represented increases of 20 percent, she added.
With booming tourism and a convenient transport network, Lai said she is optimistic that more people will come to Taiwan this year and that visits to amusement parks will also increase.
“Because this year’s Lunar New Year vacation is relatively short and the weather is pretty cold, many people have decided to travel domestically instead of going abroad,” Lai said.
“We are well-prepared,” she added.
Although Taiwan has a small area, more companies are applying to build amusement parks, Lai said.
“We want to provide quality visits, and there’s no need to travel abroad,” Taiwan Amusement Park Association chairman Chu Chung-hong (朱鍾宏) said.
According to the Tourism Bureau, during last year’s Lunar New Year holiday alone, the number of visitors to amusement parks reached 820,000 in eight days, and 700,000 visitors are expected to visit over this year’s six-day holiday.
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