Green dreams shape Yilan’s tourism industry - 宜蘭

大家好

我是呂國華

這篇文章是新聞局Taiwan Today電子報為宣傳我們宜蘭民宿所撰寫的報導文章

Taiwan Today主要在將我們宜蘭的各種在地風情 人物 景點 文化等

撰寫成文章 並向國際平台上放送

讓宜蘭的美 宜蘭的人文 宜蘭經營的理念讓世界都知道

眼下 全世界都激盪在全球化的時代 我們宜蘭的發展也必須在發揚傳統特色的前提下

走向國際舞台 宏觀的視野 學術與實務的結合 讓宜蘭的發展更有質感



這次的外籍編輯 他們入住的民宿是我們宜蘭冬山河畔的 香格里拉

外籍編輯們對香格里拉可以說是讚譽有加

至於有多好呢 我想 外籍記者們的報導就很有感覺了

我不好意思多做評論 還是讓專業的來吧~~~

http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=73776&CtNode=429

國華

================

Green dreams shape Yilan’s tourism industry

Chang Ching-lai, the godfather of leisure agriculture tourism in Yilan County,
recommends the local and central governments explore new ways to attract
overseas visitors to the region. (Photo courtesy of C.Y. Ho).
‧Publication Date：10/31/2009
‧Source： Taiwan Today
‧By Jean Brisebois


If the Yilan County Government ever launches a tourism promotion campaign
targeting Westerners, then it would be hard pressed to find a better theme
song than Belinda Carlisle’s late 1980s hit “Heaven is a Place on Earth.”

After all, what other pop anthem could do justice to this stunning region
situated on Taiwan’s northeastern coastline? Blessed with mountains, forests,
hot springs, wetlands, sweeping green vistas and stunning beaches, Yilan truly
is heaven on earth.

The county’s value as a key tourism drawing card in Taiwan is no secret to
anyone who has set foot in Yilan. Consistently voted one of the best places
to visit and live on the island, the region literally makes other local
governments green with envy, and for more reasons than just its spectacular
scenery and favorable weather.

“We like to think that our abundant natural resources have given us a tourism
reputation without peer in Taiwan,” said Yilan County Magistrate Lu Guohwa in
an exclusive interview with “Taiwan Today” Oct. 17. “The county’s diverse
environment enables residents to live well and enjoy the benefits of a thriving
leisure agriculture sector that has endless development potential.”

In Taiwan, leisure agriculture is on its way to becoming big business. The
Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture has prioritized the sector’s promotion
as a nationally viable form of sustainable tourism. According to COA data,
Taiwan has 67 designated leisure agriculture areas, with 13 located in
Yilan—the highest density anywhere on the island.

“Developing leisure agriculture in Yilan continues to be a local government
priority,” Lu said. “In part, this is being accomplished through festivals
that promote the region’s specialty products and cultural heritage.”

Yilan’s ever-expanding festival calendar draws visitors from around the world
and includes popular events such as the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Yilan Green
Expo and Sanxing Green Onion and Garlic Festival. The 2008 lantern festival was
featured by the Discovery Channel in its “Fantastic Festivals of the World”
series.

While festivals play an important role in the development of Yilan’s leisure
agriculture sector, this growth would not be possible without the region’s
high-quality boutique agricultural products.

COA estimates peg the annual national output value of produce sourced from
leisure agriculture businesses, including liquor, top-quality rice, bamboo
products and high-end fish and animal products, at NT$12.3 billion
(US$377 million) by 2012. In addition, 4,500 job opportunities will be created
by the industry over the next three years.

“In Yilan, we expect to enjoy the lion’s share of these benefits,” Lu said.
“Increasing demand from tourists for specialty agricultural products has
rapidly driven up the value of this sector.”

Statistics produced by Yilan County’s Department of Business and Tourism
confirm Lu’s assessment. In 2008, the region’s leisure agriculture businesses
hosted 3.7 million visitors and generated nearly NT$6.02 billion in revenue,
a hefty increase on the NT$1.1 billion earned in 2004.

While this improvement can be partially attributed to a series of local
government campaigns aimed at boosting Yilan’s visitor numbers, a more likely
culprit is the Hsuehshan Tunnel—a 12.9-kilometer expressway linking Yilan with
Taipei County. Completed in 2006, the world’s fifth-longest tunnel has slashed
travel times between Yilan and Taipei from four hours to around an hour and a
half.

A recent study prepared by National Ilan University on the tunnel’s economic
impact said the opening of Hsuehshan played a major role in boosting Yilan’s
leisure agriculture sector. “More visitors seeking to enjoy lifestyles of
health and sustainability are now accessing the county. These individuals have
increased the frequency and duration of their trips, creating a positive
multiplier effect in the region,” the report said.

For Chang Ching-lai, 55, co-founder of the Taiwan Leisure Farming Development
Association and president of Yilan’s Shangri-La Leisure Farming and Boutique
Hotel, the opening of the tunnel helped make his dream of establishing a
profitable leisure agriculture business a reality.

“As a boy on my parents’ farm in Yilan, I experienced the simple pleasures
of picking and eating fruit, watching fireflies and listening to the sound of
the wind. I never imagined that these things would become so sought after in
the future that people would pay for them.”

A lifelong resident of Yilan, Chang could not help but notice the
socio-economic consequences of urban drift on his county and began pondering
ways to try and reverse the region’s fortunes. In 1976, he first approached
the county government with a proposal aimed at revitalizing traditional
agricultural life.

Chang said his plan promoted core rural concepts such as frugality,
self-reliance and environmental conservation. Other central planks included
incorporating tourism into the community’s farming models and encouraging
urban emigres to return home and start leisure agriculture businesses.

“No one took me seriously at the time,” Chang said. “My proposal was
basically ignored until about 20 years ago when I decided to put my money
where my mouth was.”

In 1988, Chang took the visionary step of opening a leisure farm in the
foothills of Yilan’s Dayuan Mountain. Cozy accommodation, fruit picking,
verdant green surrounds and starry nights proved an irresistible combination,
with the initial trickle of visitors soon turning into a steady stream. As the
first business of its kind in the county, many locals were initially skeptical
but soon elected to follow suit as word of the successful green venture spread.

“Business was slow in the beginning but after a year or so, I knew I had made
the right decision,” he said. “In fact, the farm ended up doing so well that
I was able to entertain thoughts of expansion. For someone who had grown up in
rural poverty, this went beyond my wildest expectations.”

After much to-ing and fro-ing, Chang decided not to sacrifice the unique
atmosphere of his farm through pushing out its boundaries and building more
accommodation and guest services facilities. Instead, he decided to sink
NT$55 million into a new leisure concept on the Dongshan River plain.

Located 10 minutes on foot from Dongshan River Water Park, the 72-room
Mediterranean style Shangri-La Boutique Hotel opened in 2001 and proved
equally as popular as Chang’s farm. Guests come from as far away as Russia,
South Africa, Turkey and the United States to enjoy the establishment’s
locally-flavored brand of hospitality.

For Chang, the only criteria for selecting the hotel’s site was its proximity
to the water park. “Dongshan is one of the best large-scale tourism
developments in Yilan. Any business located nearby cannot help but to do
well.”

Launched in 1994 by Yu Shyi-kun, then Yilan County magistrate and later ROC
premier under the Chen Shui-bian administration, the 24-kilometer manmade
canal is today one of the region’s key tourism assets. Popular with visitors
all-year round, Dongshan hosts a variety of major events, including Yilan’s
International Rain Festival and Dragon Boat Festival.

From Nov. 3, it will also be the site of the Asian Rowing Championships.
Nearly 500 rowers from 18 countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Japan,
mainland China, Qatar, South Korea and Uzbekistan are expected to compete in
the five-day event, which will be opened by President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier
Wu Den-yih.

Chang welcomes the staging of such international events in Yilan and believes
they play an important role in further developing the region’s leisure
agriculture sector. “As more people come to Yilan, the demand for
accommodation also grows,” he said. “For many locals, developing hotels is
out the question. The best way forward is to work with what they know best,
which is promoting a traditional agricultural lifestyle through operating
leisure farms.”

To further boost Yilan’s leisure agriculture sector, Chang works closely with
other accommodation operators in concert with Yilan County Government’s
Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee. “The committee
plays an important role in promoting the county’s tourism industry. These
efforts span a variety of areas and have a domestic and international focus.”

One initiative that has proven successful is the targeting of overseas
tourists with flight and accommodation deals. Offered in conjunction with
carriers such as Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., China Airlines Ltd., Eva Airways
Corp. and Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd., the promotion has brought more
overseas visitors to the county.

Chang said that since the initiative began in January, the percentage of
foreigners visiting his farm and hotel has risen to 50 and 30 percent
respectively—almost double last year’s figures. “Other farm and hotel
owners have seen similar improvements.”

As a major player in Yilan’s tourism game, Chang knows what he is talking
about when he describes the local industry to be in “good shape” and
standing on the cusp of delivering real prosperity to the region.

“We have everything that we need to step up and play in the majors,” he said.
“Taking Yilan to the world must now be a top priority. The local tourism
industry has only one choice but to head in this direction.”



--

This is My Blog
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/yilankuohua

--