Funding for a government-backed tourism office in Thailand has been earmarked in a bid to further goals outlined by the New Southbound Policy, an Executive Yuan official said yesterday, adding that the office would be established by the end of the year.
The government hopes that groups or individuals traveling to Taiwan from Southeast Asia and India would grow by next year, said the official, who declined to be named.
The goal is to grow the nation’s travel and tertiary-service industry by attracting more visitors from Southeast Asia, the official said, adding that through such interaction, a good image of Taiwan and more familiarity will hopefully develop in the region.
In a briefing to Premier William Lai (賴清德), Minister Without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中) said that the policy has five areas of focus: cultivation of industrial talent; cooperation in medicine and the development of an industrial chain; boosting entrepreneurial cooperation; fostering regional agricultural development and forming a “new southbound forum”; and the establishment of a platform to encourage interaction among younger people.
To grow tourist numbers from the region, the government is to add more overseas tourism promotion offices, Deng said, adding that they are to focus on introducing in-depth tours in the Hualien-Taitung area or in Penghu.
The government has also asked organizations or corporations in foreign countries operated by Taiwanese to offer tours to Taiwan as an employee bonus, he added.
So far this year, two groups from Taiwanese companies based in Vietnam have visited, said a Cabinet official who declined to be identified, adding that the government is to offer tour discount packages for employees of Taiwanese companies in Southeast Asia.
The goal is to have one-quarter of all tourists originate from Southeast Asian nations by 2020, the official added.
The Tourism Bureau has obtained and earmarked funding to set up an office in Thailand in addition to their offices in Singapore and Malaysia, the official said.
Plans to establish offices in Indonesia and India are to be expedited and the offices should be established by next year, the official said, adding that both nations are great potential markets for promoting tourism.
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