Sponsored by Changhua County Government, the “Central Taiwan Regional Administration Platform” held a Cross-area Cooperation and Exchange Conference on Tourism in the Four Counties and Cities for the first time on April 24. Representatives from the governments of Changhua, Taichung, Nantou, and Miaoli attended the conference, in which affiliated travel agencies, tourism and travel associations, hotel associations, souvenir associations, and more were also invited. About one hundred people gathered in the audio-visual room of the Department of City and Tourism, Changhua County Government. They learned from and shared with each other to become more familiar with one another to create more opportunities for cooperation. In the square outside the government building, stalls were set up to provide a Lukang snack feast to the attendant to provide chances for tourism people intended to cooperate further to exchange further. Magistrate Wei Ming-ku attended the venue to encourage associations and associates in tourism to exchange further to form a cross-area cooperation network. Attracting more local and international tourists to visit these places, they can work together to create more business opportunities in tourism together in those four counties and cities.
Magistrate Wei expressed that with this Taichung-Changhua-Nantou-Miaoli cross-district administration platform, people in the tourism industry in the four counties and cities in central Taiwan were invited to provide them with opportunities for cross-area alliance and mutual exchange. Changhua County government endeavored to promote tourism. For example, it preserves old houses, handicrafts, and cultural assets, and other local features with all its efforts. Associating with the night economy and nighttime tourism, it changed the schedule of Dragon Boat Contest in Lukang to be held at night to create more excitement. In addition, the Flower in Changhua activity held in Xizhou Park this year also had its open hours extended into the night. In addition, Wanggong Midsummer Music Festival this year will collaborate with Wanggong Fishing Port and Wanggong Old Street to provide activities at night to revive the hotel business. It is hoped that with the cross-area alliance, it can promote the tourism in the four counties and cities in central Taiwan. Moreover, it is expected that Taichung International Airport can become the inlet and outlet for the international travel routes. With the power of the alliance of central Taiwan, they can develop the tourism industry there further. Let central Taiwan go out, and the world come in.
Magistrate Wei pointed out that there are different features in these four places: Taichung City, Changhua County, Nantou County, and Miaoli County. In Changhua County, there are historic monuments, folklore, handicraft, carving, and more. With the exchange between these four counties and cities, it is possible for them to plan travel packages to allow visitors to travel around different places in central Taiwan, promoting the revival of tourism in central Taiwan.
In a month’s time, it will be the Dragon Boat Festival. In addition to tasting zongzi, the most popular activity should be the dragon boat race. In Taiwan, dragon boat races will be held in different counties and cities throughout Taiwan. However, in central Taiwan, it is only held in Lukang. To provide visitors with higher quality and more comfortable environment in enjoying the dragon boat race, Changhua plans to hold the first nighttime dragon boat race in Taiwan. Glamorous lights will be installed along the banks and river path, as well as on the dragon boats to allow athletes grasp the position of the river path. It also creates exciting and eye-catching visual effects. So, the competition space will become a huge outdoor theatre. When experiencing this huge and exciting event, spectators can not only get away from the red-hot sunlight during the daytime but also enjoy the beauty of traveling around Lukang during the nighttime.
It will be something more than a historical, cultural, and festive activity. In the aspect of sports tourism, the Rice Heaven-Tianzhong Marathon has been held in Changhua since 2012 for 7 years. The tickets were often sold out in a minute’s time. It is also the friendliest marathon in Taiwan as well, regarded as a must participate by runners. Therefore, other than medical tourism, we also combine sports and tourism to invite more people to visit Changhua with healthy and LOHAS sports activities, creating more business opportunities for sports tourism.
Changhua County has very different tourism conditions. In recent years, with the assistance of Changhua County government, the Changhua County Tourism Industry Association was founded. It has already become the leader in the industry, integrating the sightseeing, leisure, industrial, hotel, and other resources. Helping travel agencies design diverse tour packages, it has constructed a tourism market platform.
Briefings were presented by Changhua County Tourism Industry Association, Changhua Hotel Association, Tianzhong Business Circle Tourism Development Association, Qingshui Yan Creative Cultural Association, Taiwan Yougoods School of Cookies, Magical Mushrooms Tribe Leisure Farm, Xingmai Baking Kingdom, Baiguo Mountain Explore Paradise, MOTEX MASK Creative House, and YISTUNEE ENTERPRISE on their scenic spots and features respectively. They also set up stalls to find like-minded businesses for further cooperation and exchange further. Changhua County Government also invited the Lukang Temple Square Association to move the snack feast to the venue and invited friends from other counties and cities to taste their local and traditional cuisine. As the lunch feast finished, the government officials of Changhua County Government offered as guided tour to Baquashan Skywalk to enjoy the beauty of Changhua.
The guests attending the conference included Changhua County Councilor Lin Shih-hsien; Director-General Ma Ying-chieh of the Department of City and Tourism, Changhua County Government; Assistant Director-general Tsao Chung-yu of the Tourism and Travel Bureau, Taichung City Government; Chief Huang Teng-da, Tourism Bureau, Miaoli County Government; Technical Specialist Chang Chao-Kuei of the Department of Tourism, Nantou County Government; and representatives from the businesses and industries.
Source: Changhua County Government Official Websites