Taiwan’s drive to transform itself into a low-carbon tourism island will see the country become a green destination for international visitors, according to Mao Chi-kuo, minister of Transportation and Communications, speaking yesterday.
“The government plans to encourage the use of energy-saving vehicles and lessen the nation’s dependence on petrol-powered cars and motorbikes,” Mao said. “This will contribute to the development of a sustainable tourism industry.”
Mao made the remarks during his presentation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation tourism ministerial meeting in Nara, Japan. The two-day event, which concludes Sept. 23, saw APEC delegates discuss regional tourism trends and ways to improve Asia’s tourism infrastructure.
According to Mao, the government recognizes that ecotourism is better for the environment and improves the quality of visitor experiences. “Policies are being put in place to develop green infrastructure so as to encourage the growth of this industry.”
Mao said more than 4 million visitors arrived in Taiwan in 2009, an increase of 14.3 percent from 2008. “This was particularly encouraging in light of the Great Recession, the swine flu epidemic and Typhoon Morakot.”
The industry generated about US$6.81 billion in foreign exchange earnings last year, accounting for 1.8 percent of Taiwan’s gross national product, Mao said. “Our target is for tourism revenues to reach US$9 billion, or 2 percent of GNP, by 2012.”
The APEC tourism ministers’ meeting, the first since 2008, will conclude with a ministerial statement outlining what steps APEC must take to improve regional tourism.
