Taiwan must move to add more values to its tourism industry by developing smart innovations and smart transportation solutions, according to Christian Fuchssteiner, director of the Austrian Commercial Office in Taipei.
Austria is set to demonstrate its latest smart tourism, transportation and autonomous driving solutions at the 2019 Smart City Summit & Expo at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center from March 26-29.
Fuchssteiner said that both Taiwan and Austria lack natural resources and therefore had better develop industries with high add-on values and sustainable operations, such as tourism and environmental protection industries.
He continued that Taiwan, situated in the heart of the Asia Pacific region, can well attract tourists from Southeast Asia with shorter flight time and beautiful sceneries of its local cities. In this regard, diverse smart city solutions can be developed to make city tours more attractive to tourists.
Many businessmen and traders visit Taiwan or exhibit at its annual trade fairs, and many others come to attend academic seminars or to engage in short-term work. If more innovative tourism packages can be offered to allow family members of the incoming visitors to enjoy in-depth tours of local cities and experience local cultural activities, then a "blue-ocean" market for urban development may emerge for Taiwan, according to Fuchssteiner.
He also revealed that Austria has seen 10% of its annual GDP contributed by its tourism industry, with China, Russia, Switzerland and Taiwan being the top-four sources of tourist spending in the country.
Christian Fuchssteiner, director of Austrian Commercial Office in Taipei
Photo: Mark Tsai, Digitimes, Febauary 2019