The Tourism Administration of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications hosted the 2025 Tourism Festival Awards Ceremony on the 10th at the Grand Hotel Taipei, honoring exceptional contributions to the tourism businesses in Taiwan and abroad. Chen Mei-xiu, Director of Taichung’s Tourism and Travel Bureau, was invited to attend and received the inaugural Sustainable Tourism Promotion Award, making Taichung one of only two local governments in Taiwan to earn this recognition. In recent years, Taichung’s Tourism and Travel Bureau has adopted an international green tourism management system to create a comprehensive sustainable tourism framework, positioning Taichung as a leading city in sustainable travel and an emerging destination for environmentally conscious international visitors.

Director Chen highlighted the Taichung City Government’s commitment to its vision of “Sustainable Happiness, Prosperous Taichung” by actively integrating sustainable tourism into its policy agenda. Since 2023, the city has introduced an international green tourism management system and partnered with global organizations to provide training programs, assisting tourism industry partners and government personnel in obtaining international certifications to strengthen Taichung’s professional capabilities in sustainable tourism. In 2024, Taichung became Taiwan's first and only city government to be recognized in the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories award. At the start of this year, five local businesses earned the Green Travel Seal, contributing to developing a sustainable tourism environment in line with the core spirit of the SDGs. Furthermore, 57 low-carbon hotels now offer various accommodations, encouraging travelers and businesses to embrace greener tourism practices, positioning Taichung as a new global destination for sustainable travel.

Director Chen added that, in response to the global trend of sustainable tourism, the Tourism and Travel Bureau continues to integrate and implement various strategies. These include promoting low-carbon hotel certifications, upgrading hiking trails and bike paths, encouraging the use of low-carbon transport options like Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s services and sightseeing buses, and advocating responsible travel practices. Additionally, the city is actively supporting the tourism industry in aligning with international standards and fostering regional connections to create a sustainable tourism environment. Through joint efforts between the public and private sectors, Taichung has enhanced its visibility and competitiveness in the global green tourism market. These achievements in making Taichung a model for sustainable travel have earned the city recognition with the 2024 Taiwan Sustainability Action Awards.

According to the Tourism and Travel Bureau, Taichung is embracing the global movement toward sustainable tourism by actively developing low-carbon travel routes and curating diverse themed events and exclusive itineraries. These initiatives offer visitors an in-depth experience of central Taiwan’s unique charm of central Taiwan’s sustainable tourism. Travelers are encouraged to visit and discover central Taiwan’s sustainable tourism charm firsthand. For more information, visit the Taichung Tourism website (https://travel.taichung.gov.tw/).