Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) is to attend this year’s APEC tourism ministers’ meeting, which opens in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Friday.
A Taiwanese delegation of 10 officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Tourism Bureau is to leave for the meeting today and return on Sunday, bureau Chief Secretary Eric Lin (林坤源) said yesterday.
The tourism ministers’ meeting has over the past few years focused on the industry’s social responsibilities after tourism became an engine for economic growth in the region, Lin said.
Industry representatives have been asked to take one step further to accomplish “inclusive growth,” which aims to not only achieve sustainable industry growth, but also to boost the local economy by creating jobs for residents in remote areas and economically disadvantaged communities.
Hochen is to give a presentation on how the nation has been implementing the government’s New Southbound Policy over the past two years, he said, adding that the minister would explain the nation’s policies of relaxing or waiving visa requirements for tourists from Southeast Asia, and creating an environment friendly to Muslims and other tourists from Southeast Asian nations.
Hochen is also to explain how the bureau is developing ecotourism in Taiwan, presenting an Aborigine village on Alishan (阿里山) as an example, Lin said.
The ministry this year did not hold bilateral meetings with tourism officials from PNG and the Philippines as it did last year, but this has nothing to do with deteriorating relations between Taiwan and China, he said.
“As far as we know, 16 of the 21 APEC members are to attend the meeting, each having its own pre-arranged meeting schedule,” Lin said. “We will have to see which members actually appear this year and try to set up meetings.”
Lin did not disclose if there is any particular nation that the ministry has in mind for a potential bilateral meeting.
Taiwan would attend the meeting under the name “Chinese Taipei” as usual, Lin added.
In related news, the Mainland Affairs Council has announced that it would more strictly review Chinese officials’ applications for visits.
Asked if the move would discourage Chinese tourists from visiting Taiwan, Lin said that Chinese tourists arriving through tour groups or those traveling independently have been increasing as of last month, adding that cross-strait tourism would not be affected.
The government has accused China of poaching four of the nation’s allies since 2016 through checkbook diplomacy — the promise of financial assistance.
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