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.
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