The “Capital of Tourism” Locomotive Kicks Off: Nantou County Scenic Area Administration Office Inaugurated

The inauguration ceremony of the Nantou County Scenic Area Administration Office was held, with leaders from the tourism industry gathering to celebrate. (Photo by Liao Zhihuang)

A tourism industry summit discussed future development. (From left) Jimmy Lin, Lin Ming-tsuen, and Lee Chi-tien. (Photo by Liao Zhihuang)

The "locomotive" driving Nantou County's push to become the “Capital of Tourism”—the "Nantou County Scenic Area Administration Office"—was officially inaugurated on the 3rd. County Magistrate Lin Ming-tsuen expressed hope that the administration office would bring new opportunities for the development of Nantou’s tourism industry, ensuring better facility planning and management, marketing promotion, and resource integration to foster more vibrant tourism growth in Nantou.

The Nantou County Scenic Area Administration Office is a second-level unit under the county government’s Tourism Department. Located on the second floor of the Nantou County Government Complex, it was established after six months of preparation and officially inaugurated on the 3rd. Attendees included county councilors Hsu A-kan, Huang Wen-jun, Chien Chun-ting, and Chien Jing-hsien, as well as tourism industry leaders such as Lee Chi-tien, chairman of the Taiwan Tourism and Amusement Park Association and the Taiwan Hot Spring Association, Jimmy Lin, chairman of the Nantou County Tourism Industry Alliance Association, Kuto Hung, chairman of the Dongpu Hot Spring Development Association, and Lee Hao-wei, chairman of the Beigangxi Hot Spring Development Association.

Magistrate Lin Ming-tsuen stated that Nantou County boasts beautiful scenery and inherently favorable conditions for tourism. To enhance the quality of tourism services and strengthen the management of scenic area facilities within the county, the government has specially established the “Nantou County Scenic Area Administration Office.” This office will be responsible for maintaining public facilities at various tourist attractions, including the Qingjing High-Altitude Viewing Trail, Rueylong Waterfall, Shuanglong Suspension Bridge, and the Hutou Mountain County-Level Scenic Area, aiming to provide visitors with a higher standard of service. In the future, it will also integrate local tourism resources from townships to continue promoting tourism development in Nantou.

Both Lee Chi-tien and Jimmy Lin spoke highly of Nantou’s tourism development, expressing gratitude to Magistrate Lin Ming-tsuen and the county government team for leading the industry toward improved performance. They noted that tourist numbers had gradually increased in the second half of 2017 and expressed confidence that the establishment of the Scenic Area Administration Office in 2018 would have a positive impact.

The Nantou County Scenic Area Administration Office comprises an Administration Section and an Engineering Section. The newly appointed director, Liao Pei-hui, stated that the office will strive to provide tourists with a safe travel environment, diverse recreational attractions, and in-depth travel experiences.