Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications Republic of China (MOTC) has observed a great success in training leaders for tourist industry, engaging Commerce Development Research Institute (hereinafter “CDRI”) to spearhead this program for 5 consecutive years. A total of 381 talents have taken this program (59 for this year, and 322 for 2010-2013). These high caliber candidates visited JTB tourist agency (Japan), HIS tourist agency (Japan), Disney Institute (United States), Cornell University (United States), University of Hawaii (United States), Nanyang Technology University, Singapore, Le Cordon Bleu Australia, and Les Roches International School of Hotel Management (Switzerland). Domestically, nearly 4,000 people have received training and CDRI developed 106 case studies, 29 new travel products and 14 international teaching tools. Leveraging both “push” and “pull” strategies, CDRI made sure that the trainees come up with creative ideas from studying abroad and accumulate international experiences and practices. CDRI also implemented plans to train the trainers by creating case studies from these overseas experiences to pass down new concepts and new practices systematically. Therefore, CDRI’s program has received great exposure and recognition domestically.

Tourism Bureau, Republic of China (Taiwan) also coordinated a “Pioneering program for training leaders in tourism industry” on Nov 21st to build a platform for various talents to exchange their experiences and share what they have learned. They not only shared their joy of such journey but also looked forward to the future prospect of the industry. Deputy Director-General of Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications Republic of China (MOTC)Mr. Chang said that both the number of tourists and revenue from tourism in Taiwan have been soaring consistently, breaking historical record. Taiwan can leverage assets such as great food and beautiful sceneries, but most importantly, the cultural experience, genuine people and friendly services impress tourists the most. As tourist industry is faced with fierce competition and saturating market, only by continuously investing in branding and innovation can help Taiwan survive, and the key to success is the investment in high caliber talents.