President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday vowed to promote cross-strait tourism based on the principles of equality and dignity.
Lai’s statement at the opening of the Taipei Tourism Exposition came after the Executive Yuan announced that a ban on group tours to China would not be lifted this month, but already-arranged tours were allowed to proceed.
Through tourism, Taiwan can step onto the global stage while the world comes to Taiwan, Lai said at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 during the opening ceremony of the expo, which ends on Monday.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The government is to work with the tourism industry to promote cross-strait tourism while upholding the goals of equality, dignity, mutual benefit and common prosperity, he said.
It is his responsibility to safeguard stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait, and promote economic development so that Taiwanese can live and work in peace and contentment, he said.
He said that the government would establish institutions to train tourism talent, and assist tourism operators in digital transformation and smart technology adoption to enhance competitiveness and reduce costs.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The central and local governments should promote tourism, Lai said, adding that occasions such as Computex Taipei next week and the World Masters Games in May next year are great opportunities for tourism.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has set up a booth at the expo to inform visitors about the safety measures it provides for Taiwanese traveling abroad.
In association with nine airlines, the ministry launched a prize draw at the expo, with entries open until 6pm tomorrow, it said.
Photo: CNA
By correctly answering questions on the official Line account of the ministry’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, participants have a chance to win prizes such as round-trip international air tickets, Microsoft Surface Go 3 tablets and prize bags, it said.
The winners would be drawn on the main stage at 11am on Monday, it said.
Other gifts such as luggage tags, wet wipes, reusable shopping bags and luggage straps would be given to people who complete activities related to travel safety at the booth, it added.
The expo is the biggest event of its kind in Taiwan in the first half of the year, with 250 domestic and foreign exhibitors, and an expected 300,000 visitors, organizers said.
Exhibitors include airlines, travel agencies and hotels, as well as 15 local governments and representatives from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Palau and Guam, they said.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work
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