The Travel Industry Forum & West Lake Resort Grand Opening: Fun-Filled Olympic Games

Sailor Moon wins first place in the Memory Challenge. (Photo by Chen Qingju)

The Joyful Stacking Game at the Olympics brings endless fun. (Photo by Chen Qingju)

On the 29th, the Miaoli County Government’s Cultural Affairs and Tourism Bureau, the Hotel Business Association of Taiwan, and the Taichung City Hotel Business Association jointly hosted the 2nd Taiwan Travel Industry & Tourism Forum at West Lake Resort in Sanyi Township. Through exchanges among industry, government, and academia, the forum aimed to enhance the service standards of tourism industries across counties and cities and propel the hospitality sector to new heights. The afternoon’s Olympic Games events were both creative and entertaining.

The opening ceremony was jointly launched by Magistrate Hsu Yao-chang, Deputy Executive Director Wu Yijen of the Central Taiwan Joint Services Center under the Executive Yuan, Executive Secretary Tsai Ming-ling of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, National Federation Chairman Chang Jung-nan of the Republic of China Hotel Association, Federation Chairman Hong Chong-yuan of the Taiwan Provincial Hotel Association, Taichung City Hotel Association Chairman Lin Deng-hui, and Miaoli County Hotel Association Chairman Cheng Shun-fu.

Hsu Yao-chang pointed out that the number of international tourists visiting Taiwan each year has exceeded 10 million, officially marking Taiwan’s entry into the ranks of international tourist destinations. During travel, accommodation quality is the most influential factor in shaping a visitor’s overall experience. Both domestic and international travelers are placing higher demands on lodging quality, and hotel operators play a key role in creating an excellent tourism environment. He expressed hope that through this event, industry, government, and academic representatives could come together to share insights and valuable experiences, thereby improving accommodation service standards, fostering a high-quality tourism environment, and driving the development of the tourism industry.

The subsequent Travel Industry & Tourism Forum featured keynote speeches on “The Future and Vision of Taiwan’s Tourism Industry” by former Tourism Bureau Director-General Hsu Wen-sheng, Executive Council Member for Tourism Promotion Huang Cheng-tsung of the Executive Yuan, and Taiwan Tourism Development Association Chairman Lin Chin-jung, providing participants with deeper insights into the challenges currently faced by Taiwan’s tourism sector.

The forum also included a discussion on “New Southbound Policy: Expectations from the Tourism Industry,” moderated by Miaoli County Cultural Affairs and Tourism Bureau Director Lin Yan-fu. Panelists included Miaoli County Travel Association Chairman Lai Chih-ming, Yu Da University President Huang Jung-peng, Baobao Travel Agency General Manager Lee Chun-lin, and International Muslim Tourism Industry Joint Development Association Chairman Ma Hsiao-chi. Through shared experiences and discussions, they sought solutions to current tourism challenges.

The afternoon session featured the Taiwan Travel Industry Olympics, with 27 teams from across Taiwan participating. Fun competitions such as “Happy Stacking,” “Memory Challenge,” and “Triathlon Relay” integrated the core hospitality value of “service,” fostering team spirit and cohesion while aiming to elevate service quality.

The top three finishers in each competition category were as follows: Happy Stacking – 1st: Yu Da Culinary & Tourism, 2nd: Ling Tung Tourism & Leisure, 3rd: Invincible General Manager; Memory Challenge – 1st: Sailor Moon, 2nd: Shima, 3rd: Omnipotent; Triathlon Relay – 1st: Gourmet, 2nd: Five Metropolis Hotels, 3rd: Yu Da Culinary & Tourism 5.