服務故事

The following is the English translation of an interview with ACF Chair Stanley Yen in Chinese.

​Fast travelers produce short-term economic gain.

Taiwan once received many fast travelers from mainland China. When we reflect on that period, it is evident that fast travelers did not bring sustainable economic growth to Taiwan but a short-term gain. With the halt of travel over the pandemic, I believe it is the exact opportunity for Taiwan's tourism industries to retire from its fast travel approach to slow travel; however, it is only when our people genuinely understand what civil living is that we know how to practice the slow travel approach.

At the boom of receiving fast travelers, travel companies bought buses and ships to meet the short-term demand, and several street vendor souvenir stands appeared. The travelers visited a few sites covering Taiwan's entire East Coast (Hualien and Taitung) in just one day. In Taitung, for example, their travel itinerary would only include Water Flowing Upwards, followed by the Taroko Gorge in Hualien, believing that they had seen Taiwan. Street vendors sell souvenirs intending to profit from one-time spenders while often sharing 50% of the revenue with travel agents. This approach will only attract fast travelers to Taiwan. Mayors focus too much on the number of visitors coming into their cities without realizing that the fast travel approach doesn't add value to Taiwan but undervalues it. With the halt of mainland Chinese tourists entering Taiwan, the once-occupied buses and ships are no longer used.

Every city should identify its specialty

Each city in Taiwan is a gem. Take Taitung Sugar Factory Cultural and Creative Park as an example, where you will find not only Za Num's Workshop but several artists from along the South-link line's workshops, as well as the Bulareyaung Dance Company and Taitung Echo Orchestra. Is there another space in Taiwan that holds as much artistic energy? Taitung encompasses 10% of Taiwan's land mass, and the outcome could be very different if we developed the region's tourism with a slow travel approach.

When I visited Penghu several years ago, the locals informed me that they receive many tourists in the summer, while in the winter, it is quiet. The problem is that Penghu focuses too much on its summer market, and its itinerary is designed for one day. If Penghu had created a two—to three-day itinerary or even one week, the approach would not have been the same.

The value of transitioning into civil living

If tourists only know of Yehliu Geopark and Yehliu Ocean World in northern Taiwan, they will naturally be the only places occupied. At the same time, the rest of the New Taipei City region is vacant. If, however, we identify specialties in each area, the outcome could be very different. This should be the government's focus. I wrote a book about the importance of humanity and civil living during the pandemic. We must transition ourselves into a civil living society.

I have a friend who married a photographer from Bordeaux. They now run a B&B there in a 300-year-old residence with ten rooms. Most of their guests come from northern Europe and stay for over one week. They enjoy their time there and at the vineyards without the need to go to Paris. This is a form of civil living. Our goal isn't to see the entire world but to find a city we enjoy relaxing in. For Taiwan, Taitung, Hualien, and Nantou could follow suit depending on how each area is packaged.

Nantou: From a region known for Sun Moon Lake to an area known for tea plantations. What would change if we modeled Napa Valley's approach in Nantou? Though Napa Valley produces renowned wines, its main focus isn't to sell its wines but to sell its wine-tasting and tour experiences. Nantou's tea plantations could model the experience. Each plantation produces different flavors, types, and teas in other seasons. Travelers could enjoy tea tasting at the restaurants near the plantations. This is what civil living is and will add value to a region; however, when I visited Nantou, plantations instead brought their teas to the Sun Moon Lake area to sell, making it challenging to make an actual profit and contribute to a sustainable economy. If Nantou could remodel their plantations to that of Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant in New Taipei City, where people intend to relax, taste teas, and tour the plantation, the experience would be much elevated. Young people who have left their hometowns are also more likely to return to the region to work.

From craftsmanship to artistry

Vocational education in Taiwan should elevate its methods to foster students at the "master" or "artist" level rather than focusing only on the "craftsman" level. In a restaurant, aesthetics such as plating, décor, and music are not within the capacity of a cook, and if the cook only learns the skills of cooking, then they will not likely transition to become a chef or culinary artist. We need to elevate Taiwan's education from craftsmanship to artistry, but becoming an artist takes hard work.

In the businesses I consulted in the past, the journey from craftsmanship to artistry wasn't smooth. If we take education institutes as an example, if teachers cannot understand the importance of elevating themselves into artistry, they will continue to use dated methods. It's a regretful loss when I feel I cannot inspire their thinking.

It also saddens me when the Taiwan government doesn't succeed in shifting the country's overall climate. On one hand, Taiwan wants to be internationalized, yet on the other, the English language isn't enforced within our tourism industries. If people don't have English skills, they cannot fulfill the basic needs of what tourists wish to eat.

Hualien-Taitung is an asset that could help Taiwan become a slow travel destination.

Over the years, ACF has supported the Hualien-Taitung region, helping to identify and uplift its assets, which include contemporary arts, Indigenous culture, sports, and hospitality. We supported, for example, the Sinasera 24 restaurant and proposed to the local government to allow the public to access the Flowing Lake as a training ground for swimming and sailing. Several of Junyi School of Innovation alumni are financially supported to pursue study overseas. 2022 marks the first year for a Junyi alumni to graduate from college. Alums from economically underprivileged backgrounds will potentially be the changemakers of their societies. I have done this in the Hualien-Taitung region, a model that can be applied country-wide. I believe Taiwan must work hard for change in 2023. If our travel industries don't make the effort for change, even if we had the opportunity to host influential people, they will not likely be touched.