Taiwan is aiming to become a tourism powerhouse that will attract more than 10 million visitors a year, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Jian-yu said tonight on the Executive Yuan's "Open Mic" YouTube broadcast.
"Taiwan is a beautiful island renowned worldwide for its natural scenery, political stability and tourism attractions," said Chen, who appeared on the program to explain the government's tourism development policies. "Looking forward, our focus is to raise the quality of tourism and draw more international visitors so that more people can experience Taiwan's wonderful hospitality."
Taiwan is on track to draw more than 10 million visitors this year, Minister Chen told program host Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun. The number of international tourists has been growing by a million a year since 2009. That figure reached 9.91 million in 2014 when the tourism industry generated foreign exchange earnings of NT$443.8 billion (US$14.6 billion), contributing an impressive 2.76 percent to the nation's gross domestic product.
To make the 10 million visitors feel welcome, the government has been creating a tourist-friendly environment and improving the quality of travel services. Efforts include speeding up customs procedures at Terminals 1 and 2 of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport; improving tour bus safety through better management of drivers, roads, buses and bus companies; strengthening tour guide training through industry-university cooperation; and easing traffic congestion at popular attractions by controlling the number of visitors permitted at a time.
Regarding the countries from which tourists originate, Taiwan launched an array of global marketing campaigns that has raised visitor numbers across the board. In 2014 for instance, the number of tourists from Japan and South Korea jumped with the latter posting a 50-percent increase. Tourists from Europe, the U.S., New Zealand and Australia all registered double-digit growth as well.
Taiwan has also been spotlighted in a string of international media reports, Chen said. It was named in National Geographic Traveler's "20 Best Trips 2015" list and Lonely Planet's 10 best value destinations for 2015, and it placed 11th among The New York Times' top places to go in 2014. A CNN article touted "Ten things Taiwan does better than anyone else" while CNN readers voted the island as their favorite culinary destination. The U.S.-based website Lifestyle9 listed Taiwan as the second-safest country in the world to visit or settle down, and Japan's popular travel site 4Travel crowned Taiwan the best country for solo travelers.
As for popular tourism activities that tend to be replicated in different locations, this kind of replication may diminish the uniqueness of each place, Chen said. The Tourism Bureau has therefore compiled a "Time for Celebration" events calendar to help visitors understand the special nature of each international, national or local event and allow them to plan efficiently for such events as the Taiwan Lantern Festival and the Taiwan Hot Spring and Fine Cuisine Carnival. The Taiwan King-of-the Mountain Challenge, for example, is one of many popular cycling events across Taiwan, and Minister Chen hopes local governments can organize cycling events that are unique to each county and city.
The entirety of this evening's "Open Mic" webcast is available for viewing on YouTube at https://goo.gl/Riaw6q.