ITF international travel fair opens President Lai: Targeting 10 million international tourists and tourism output value reaching 1 trillion yuan by 2030

The ITF Taiwan International Travel Fair opened today (6th). President Lai Ching-te said in his opening speech that the government will accelerate the development of Taiwan's tourism in three directions. The first is to build a national tourism team, the second is to build a tourism brand, and the third is to accelerate the transformation of the tourism industry. "Our goal is very clear, that is, by 2030, there will be 10 million international tourists visiting Taiwan, and the tourism output value will exceed 1 trillion yuan."

Lai Qingde said that domestic tourism output value, number of trips, and the number of domestic hotel rooms have all increased significantly, which means that the joint efforts of the central and local governments and private enterprises have achieved results. In addition to strengthening domestic tourism, we also need to bring good friends from abroad to travel domestically.

Lai Ching-te said that the government will accelerate the development of Taiwan's tourism in three directions. The first is to give full play to the energy of the national tourism team. In recent years, the government has actively implemented the vision of establishing a tourism country and fully implemented the concept of mainstreaming tourism of "tourism in all departments and tourism in every place". This year, the Taiwan Tourism Research Institute has been officially established to comprehensively enhance the international competitiveness of Taiwan's tourism.

Lai Ching-te emphasized, "The goal is very clear, that is, the number of international tourists visiting Taiwan can reach 10 million by 2030, and the tourism output value can exceed 1 trillion yuan." This will allow more people to come to Taiwan and gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan, and the tourism industry will therefore develop more vigorously.

Lai Ching-te said that the second is to build Taiwan’s tourism brand. Last year, Taiwan’s first international business card, the “Top of the North Return Smiling South Bay Flagship Project,” was launched. With the Tropic of Cancer as the core axis, it connects tourism resources in the central and southern parts of the country and showcases Taiwan’s natural and cultural charm.

He said that this year, in response to the global trend of net-zero emissions and the World Trails Conference to be held in Taiwan in 2028, the second international business card "Taiwan T-Walk Plan" was launched, integrating six representative national trails such as the Tamlan Trail and the Changzhi Trail to lead tourists from all over the world to experience the beauty of Taiwan's mountains and forests.

Lai Ching-te said that the third step is to accelerate the transformation of the tourism industry. Taiwan's technological strength not only leads the development of the industry, but also provides advantages in developing smart tourism. The government will continue to assist the digital transformation of the tourism industry, including the development of smart travel exhibitions, so that tourists can receive the most convenient services. At the same time, through AI and big data analysis, it can accurately grasp tourist needs and preferences, helping the industry improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Lai Ching-te said that the central government will continue to assist local governments in improving the quality of regional tourism activities, so that through large-scale international exhibitions, events and competitions, various regions in Taiwan can give full play to their characteristics and attract more tourists.