Tourism authorities have admitted that it will be hard to reach the government's goal of attracting 3.2 million tourists to Taiwan this year, after first-quarter number were more than 20 percent short of the official target.
According to Su Cheng-tien (
In view of the smaller-than-expected number of foreign tourists in the first quarter, Su acknowledged that greater challenges lie ahead if his bureau is to accomplish the annual target set by the Executive Yuan, which has designated this year as "Taiwan Tourism Year."
Although various agencies have made worked with the Executive Yuan to provide things such as free visits to the National Palace Museum, free one-day bus tours of Taipei and high-profile promotional campaigns abroad, Su said that some unexpected events had reduced foreign arrivals in Taiwan.
The turmoil following the presidential election, the bird flu outbreak, the reappearance of SARS and threats of terrorist attacks have all taken their toll on the tourist industry.
NEW IDENTITY: Known for its software, India has expanded into hardware, with its semiconductor industry growing from US$38bn in 2023 to US$45bn to US$50bn India on Saturday inaugurated its first semiconductor assembly and test facility, a milestone in the government’s push to reduce dependence on foreign chipmakers and stake a claim in a sector dominated by China. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened US firm Micron Technology Inc’s semiconductor assembly, test and packaging unit in his home state of Gujarat, hailing the “dawn of a new era” for India’s technology ambitions. “When young Indians look back in the future, they will see this decade as the turning point in our tech future,” Modi told the event, which was broadcast on his YouTube channel. The plant would convert
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Property transactions in the nation’s six special municipalities plunged last month, as a lengthy Lunar New Year holiday combined with ongoing credit tightening dampened housing market activity, data compiled by local land administration offices released on Monday showed. The six cities recorded a total of 10,480 property transfers last month, down 42.5 percent from January and marking the second-lowest monthly level on record, the data showed. “The sharp drop largely reflected seasonal factors and tighter credit conditions,” Evertrust Rehouse Co (永慶房屋) deputy research manager Chen Chin-ping (陳金萍) said. The nine-day Lunar New Year holiday fell in February this year, reducing
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