Taiwan's Hualien County mounts ‘Smart Tourism City’ campaign to boost tourism

台灣花蓮縣推動 “智慧旅遊城市”活動，促進旅遊業發展

Kiosks featuring a combination of e-payment systems will be set up across the city


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – To address the decline of visitors to Hualien in the aftermath of earthquakes since February, the government of Hualien County has launched the “Smart Tourism City” initiative in a bid to boost local tourism.

The accommodation industry in the eastern Taiwan region reported only 35 to 45 percent occupancy rates from late June to early July, while some of the landmark tourist attractions also saw the number of visitors dropping, with Qixingtan (七星潭) down 2 percent, Lintianshan (林田山) slipping 23 percent, and Nanan Visitor Center (南安遊客中心) falling a drastic 47 percent, according to Hualien Tourism Department.

Peng Wei-tsu (彭偉族), head of Hualien County’s tourism agency, noted in a tourism promotion meeting on July 24 that the government will lead the country in incorporating four major electronic payment systems – EasyCard (悠遊卡), iPass (一卡通), icash (愛金卡), and happycash (有錢卡) – to allow for more convenient payments for tourists.

Multi-payment kiosks featuring mobile payment, credit card, and the above-mentioned four e-payment systems will also be installed at locations across Hualien, he added.

In addition, Hualien will introduce 20 vending machines, modeled on Taipei 101’s unmanned stores, that sell souvenirs and agricultural produce characteristic of Hualien, reported Central News Agency.

The machines will also broadcast information regarding tourism and preferential offers while offering customized itineraries for mobile device users who can select travel packages to their own preferences, as part of the county’s campaign to go smart.



The Puyuma Express(普悠瑪專列) (Photo by CNA)