The Tourism Administration plans to boost tourism by improving the quality of tourist sites and using celebrity endorsements to change Taiwan’s international image, Minister of Transportation and Communications Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said in an interview published yesterday.
Taiwan has lots of beautiful nature sites and 268 magnificent mountains that are at least 3,000m tall — the highest density in Asia — along with convenient railways, hiking trails and cycle paths, Li said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times).
While there are many cultural sites for tourists to explore, Taiwan is also a “nation of gourmet food,” where many different places, not just one city, are dotted with local culinary delights, he said.
Photo: Huang Chun-hsuan, Taipei Times
Foreign food shows are encouraged to visit Taiwan and shoot programs about local foods to help attract more tourists, Li said.
For example, the agency has assisted the Japanese drama Kodoku no Gurume (The Solitary Gourmet) in shooting scenes of tasty foods in Taiwan, he said, adding that he had seen another Japanese TV program comedically introduce distinctive Taiwanese foods, making them look toothsome.
The agency would also invite celebrities from Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries to endorse and help promote Taiwan as an attractive tourist destination in their countries, Li said.
Affected by an earthquake in Hualien County in April, Typhoon Gaemi last month and China’s military drills around Taiwan recently, Taiwan’s global image on overseas news media has become one of a place stricken by natural disasters and on the brink of war, he said.
Japanese tourists used to account for the majority of Taiwan’s inbound travelers, but the depreciation of the yen has also reduced the number of tourists from Japan, Li said.
Therefore, it is important to correct and promote Taiwan’s international image by placing advertisements at influential platforms, such as the BBC and CNN, he added.
Tourism in Hualien and Taitung counties slumped after the earthquake in April and the occupation rate of local hotels declined to about 10 percent, a huge difference compared with the national average of 40 percent, Li said.
Although the central government has boosted the occupation rate to 24 percent via an accommodation subsidy program, many travelers canceled their reservations after the typhoon cut off transportation, he said, adding that it is necessary to support the tourism industry during these hardships.
The key to improving the tourism industry’s performance is in improving the overall experience for tourists, Li said.
The government should finance popular tourist destinations such as the northeast coast, the East Rift Valley, Kenting and Alishan Forest Railway, and enhance tourism quality such as renovating the waiting area for travelers bound for Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球) by boat, he said.
Li also said the agency has established 18 “tourism circles” with each of its National Scenic Area Administrations in collaboration with local tourism bureaus, to improve existing tourist attractions.
The agency aims to map out travel routes to revel in gourmet foods and tourist spots that have local features and cultural significance, he said.
Meanwhile, Li said a plan to alter the ticket prices of Taiwan Railway Corp would be formulated by the end of next month, as the prices have remained the same for 29 years.
“The draft plan would be sent to the Executive Yuan for review next month and is expected to be finalized by the end of this year,” he said.
Relative price change would decrease as the distance lengthens, while short-distance travelers would still access the benefits of the TPass monthly transit card and therefore would not be much affected, Li added.
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