On August 9, Premier Sean Chen instructed government agencies to step up efforts to promote tourism and logistics given the industries' growing roles in job creation and economic growth.
Tourism has already been designated by Taiwan as one of six emerging industries for priority development, Chen said, and its importance was further underscored at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Khabarovsk, Russia this July, where participants signed a declaration to "facilitate tourism to realize more robust economic growth in the Asia-Pacific."
Chen made the comments after hearing a briefing on the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' (MOTC) participation in the APEC meeting.
In the first half of 2012, the number of visitors to Taiwan grew by 25 percent as compared with the same period of 2011. The number for the entire year may exceed the target of 6.6 million, or even reach 7 million, said the premier.
The MOTC is promoting a "green tourism" campaign to encourage visitors to travel in Taiwan using bicycle paths and shuttle services. These efforts conform to the nation's energy-saving and carbon-reduction policies and to the Khabarovsk Declaration's goal of sustainable tourism. Premier Chen advised the MOTC to be mindful of raising the quality of tourism as well as the number of tourists to Taiwan.
"One of our economic strategies is to develop tourism into an 'exportable service' that is distinguishable and globally competitive," Chen added.
At the recent Special APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting, which centered on the theme "Development of integrated supply chains for innovative growth in the Asia-Pacific Region," transportation ministers issued a joint statement pledging to enhance the efficiency of supply chains by reducing supply chain operational risks and diversifying supply chain routes across all modes.
In line with this theme, Taiwan is also implementing a global freight logistics service action plan, which will make services more high-tech and help expand Taiwan's global presence, said Chen. He instructed the MOTC, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and other agencies to cooperate with each other toward creating a more reliable, efficient supply chain.