Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) would increase the number of foreign tourists to Taiwan to 20 million by 2028 if elected president, his policy advisory team said yesterday.
Tourist arrivals from China have decreased nearly 1.5 million during President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) term in office, from 4.18 million in 2016 to 2.69 million last year, said Han, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate.
Han was speaking at a news conference in Tainan also attended by his advisory team to unveil his tourism policy.
Photo: Tsai Wen-chu, Taipei Times
As the tourism industry suffers, more than 30 sectors related to tourism, such as transportation, culture and agriculture, also suffer, he said.
Many obstacles facing the nation’s tourism industry are “manmade,” Han said, and pledged to clear them and ensure that the nation has “no enemies” if elected president.
“For Taiwan to get rich, goods need to be sold and people need to come in,” he said.
Han would increase the nation’s international tourist arrivals to 15 million by 2024 and to 20 million by 2028 if elected for a second term, his policy advisory team said.
To achieve the goals, Han would improve cross-strait relations to increase the number of Chinese tourists, said Simon Chang (張善政), who leads the team.
“The tourism industry cannot be well unless cross-strait relations are well,” he said, adding that Han would also enhance transportation infrastructure to attract more tourists from Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea.
For example, Han would plan a new airport in southern Taiwan and new railroads or gondolas in mountains, such as Alishan (阿里山), Chang said.
Furthermore, to improve tourism, Han would restructure the Tourism Bureau into the ministry of tourism and streamline its departments, Chang added.
Last year, the bureau had a budget of NT$4.6 billion (US$150.3 million), he said, adding that the planned tourism ministry would have an annual budget at least double that number.
“This is our promise and we will definitely deliver it,” Chang said.
Asked if the policy has factored in the unpredictability of the Chinese government and the risks that entail, Han said: “We would not put all our eggs in one basket. That would be impossible. We are not that silly.”
He would not try to narrow the nation’s tourism market, he added.
Separately, Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) yesterday said he has ordered heightened police security for Han, after a person threw an egg at him as he was leaving a campaign event in Tainan’s Shueipingwun Park the day before.
The Tainan City Government said it has provided extra police officers, along with plainclothes officers and surveillance teams, for Han’s visit to several temples and major tourist sites in the city.
Han’s campaign office spokesman Ye Yuan-zhi (葉元之) said that although the egg did not hit Han, it splashed on a bodyguard and a supporter.
Han said that he would not hold anyone responsible for the incident and that everyone can express their opinion in a democracy, Ye added.
Democratic Progressive Party headquarters in a statement condemned any form of violence during campaign activities, and requested police to investigate the matter and protect the public’s safety.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS