Hualien-Thailand Tourism Industry Exchange Meeting: Media Professionals Meet and Greet

To develop diversified tourism and increase visitor sources to Hualien, the Hualien County Government held the "Hualien-Thailand Tourism Industry Exchange Meeting" on the morning of the 22nd in the County Government's Grand Briefing Room, arranging for local tourism operators to meet and greet Thai operators and a media familiarization tour group. This was the largest comprehensive exchange between the tourism industries of Hualien and Thailand in recent years, facilitating direct industry exchanges and the planning of tour packages.

After May 20, tourist arrivals from mainland China to Taiwan dropped sharply. The Hualien County Government actively expanded diversified tourism routes. Starting in January of this year, it actively engaged with a Thai airline and its general agent for the Taiwan region to discuss a direct charter flight plan to Hualien. With strong assistance from the central government, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and Legislator Hsu Chen-wei, the "Bangkok-Hualien" direct charter flight is expected to be finalized soon, with departure scheduled for July this year. Flights will run densely at one every 5 days, from 7/2 to 8/19, totaling 12 flights, which will facilitate 5-day, 4-night itineraries for Thai visitors to Hualien. This will bring in many more international visitors who focus on Hualien as their primary travel destination, lengthen their stay, revitalize Hualien's tourism market, and also make it more convenient for Hualien residents to travel abroad.

Peng Wei-tsu, Acting Director of the Tourism Department, stated that the northern and southern regional directors of the Thai airline's general agent for the Taiwan region, together with the chairman's special assistant, visited the Hualien County Government on February 8 of this year (ROC year 106) to discuss the "Bangkok-Hualien" direct charter flight with Secretary-General Yen Hsin-chang, and both sides reached a preliminary consensus. After multiple rounds of negotiations, a consensus was finally reached on the direct Hualien-Bangkok flight. This will market Hualien internationally, and through convenient transportation channels it is hoped to boost tourism and business exchanges, drive Hualien County's development, revitalize Hualien's tourism market, and benefit local residents.