Foreign visitors to Taipei City during the Taipei International Flora Expo will be able to join free guided tours, which are being offered by the Taipei City Government. The service was launched yesterday to boost the city’s tourism and to help promote the event.
The “Taipei City International Tour Guides Service,” set up by Taipei City’s Department of Civil Affairs, offers 10 themed itineraries that cover the city’s top attractions including the Taipei 101 Mall, Hsing Tien Temple, Taipei 228 Memorial Park, Beitou hot springs and Shihlin Night Market.
A total of 120 Taipei residents with foreign-language skills and a great knowledge of Taipei were selected from 1,700 applicants, with ages ranging from 15 to 68, to serve as volunteer guides. They will lead the tours, which start on Nov. 6 when the expo formally opens.
PHOTO: LIN HSIANG-MEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Speaking at the launch ceremony of the service, commissioner of the department Huang Lu Ching-ju (黃呂錦茹) encouraged the volunteer guides to share their personal takes on the city’s charms as well as providing basic information about the attractions.
The service will be offered in about 10 languages, from English and Japanese to Korean, Spanish and French, thanks to the diversity of the volunteers’ backgrounds, she said. The volunteers include students, retired teachers and former flight attendants.
One of the “Arts Tour” guides, 23-year-old Ann Chen (陳品妤) said she will use her experience as an event/tour planner for foreign guests at Chinese Cultural University and her language skills in Korean and English to introduce the city to foreign visitors.
“I think the service will be very helpful for foreign visitors who want to get a deeper understanding of Taipei, and it’s very exciting that I can use my language skills to guide the tours,” she said.
Another volunteer, Alice Yeh (葉明), said she will spend three days a week working as a volunteer guide.
“I’ve been to every tourist spot on the itineraries and know the city pretty well as a native Taipei resident. I think foreign visitors should take advantage of this great service because what can be a better way to learn about the city than from a native?” she said.
Division chief of the department Chang Wu-chang (張五常) said the service will last until the end of the event on April 25 next year. Foreign visitors can register now for the service on the Web site www.travelintaipei.com.tw, or fill out the registration form at the service counter of the expo’s Yuanshan Park area.
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