Taiwan: Strategies for sustainable tourism and environmental development
ITB Berlin News spoke with Joe Chou, Director General Taiwan Tourism Administration, about Taiwan’s sustainable tourism strategies and goals.
Can you share your strategies heading towards 2030 for Taiwan tourism?
Our vision 2030 is to elevate Taiwan’s tourism to a higher level through three strategic pillars: “Brand Taiwan”, “Charming Taiwan”, and “Smart Taiwan”. Our aim is to strengthen Taiwan’s tourism brand by tailoring marketing efforts to our mature and emerging markets. We are ramping up promotional efforts with airlines and cruise companies to attract more international travellers.
Through “Charming Taiwan”, we are enhancing service quality and encouraging people to join the tourism sector while emphasing sustainable tourism and energy-saving technologies. We also actively promote green certifications, low-carbon transportation options and socially responsible tourism with local communities.
Finally, our “Smart Taiwan” strategy aims to harness Virtual and Augmented Reality and AI technologies throughout the tourism experience.
How do you strike a balance between tourism development and environmental protection?Environmental protection remains a priority. We support initiatives like the “Sea Women Program”, underscoring Taiwan’s unique fishing culture. We promote green certification, sustainable materials and eco-friendly practices to reduce the environmental impact of tourism activities and improve service quality. Our membership in the Green Tourism Destination Foundation reflects this global commitment. We also use big data, digital monitoring, and AI to manage our environmental resources.
How do you view the role of rail tourism?
Rail tourism is key to low-carbon tourism and achieving sustainable development goals. For instance, the “Ming Ri Train” project combines Taiwan’s stunning natural scenery with a rail experience. We also work to integrate rail and bus networks to make it easier for tourists to access remote destinations.
