The Tourism Bureau was officially redesignated the Tourism Administration yesterday, with Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) vowing to collect regular feedback and expand the international tourist market.
Speaking at a ceremony to unveil the plaque for the agency, Chou said that it would enhance collaboration with the tourism industry, be responsive to the sector’s needs, accelerate recovery of tourism and convene experts to help with strategy.
The team would include Lion Travel Services Co (雄獅旅行社) chairman Jason Wang (王文傑) and Formosa International Hotels Corp (晶華國際酒店集團) chairman Steven Pan, he said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The agency would also boost its collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Education, the Hakka Affairs Council and the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Chou said.
Academic cooperation with the tourism industry is to be enhanced under the Tourism Administration’s guidance, especially to solve a labor shortage, he said.
Middle-aged and elderly people rejoining the workforce and university students should be targeted for recruitment, as they can attract tourists across age groups and improve the quality of service, Chou said.
Taiwan needs to double down on efforts to restore the nation’s exchange of tourists with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines, he said.
Tourism service centers and other facilities should be developed in connection with pleasure cruises to South Korea’s Busan, and prospective destinations in Indonesia and India, Chou said.
Taiwan would also welcome the resumption of cross-strait travel, he said.
Additionally, the Tourism Administration is to launch a joint effort with the Taiwan Visitors’ Association to draw big-spending tourists from the EU and UK, he said.
Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said he hopes Taiwan and China can restart tours simultaneously, adding that the number of visitors should be capped at 2,000 for now.
The Executive Yuan would do what it can to address the lack of workers in the tourism industry by convening ministries, Cheng said
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said that Taiwan would welcome Chinese visitors and his ministry has made preparations to receive tourists from across the Taiwan Strait.
Separately, the Central Weather Bureau was also officially redesignated as the Central Weather Administration (CWA).
The weather agency said in a news release that its mission is to obtain and make use of new technologies enabling it to have a positive impact on the public, help society and serve national interests.
It would continue to provide crucial weather data and would strive to play a larger role in scientific research into climate change, it said, adding that a joint project with the National Science and Technology Council is being prepared.
Wang Kwo-tsai was cited as saying that while the reorganization did not increase the weather agency’s personnel, the transportation ministry intends to support it in the acquisition of supercomputers and new weather stations.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old