Yesterday (13th), six members of the Executive Committee of the World Birdfairs Council (WBC) visited the Taichung City Government, where they were welcomed by Tourism and Travel Bureau Director Chen Mei-Xiu on behalf of Mayor Lu Shiow-Yen. The meeting focused on the upcoming 2025 1st World Bird Fair, which will be held in Taichung, as well as discussions about ecological tourism and international travel. Director Chen expressed gratitude to the committee members for recognizing the potential of Taichung's ecological tourism and birdwatching resources and for selecting the city to host the first-ever World Bird Fair. She assured that the city government will work closely with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Tourism Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, and the Ministry of the Interior's National Park Service in organizing the event.
Director Chen shared that 23 years ago, Taichung has established a “bird connection” with the Taiwan WBC executive committee members, and they have called each other “bird enthusiasts.” This bond led to Taichung's close collaboration with the Tourism Administration since last May to organize the World Bird Fair. They have been planning the event venue, the ecological tourism visits for international guests, and transportation arrangements. The fair will take place at Taichung Civic Square for two days, and international guests will also visit Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area. In August last year, a special Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 889 Daxueshan route was launched, and the shuttle buses have been designed to highlight Daxueshan's diverse ecology and offer green transportation for visitors. This year, the Daxueshan Birdwatching Association will be supported in setting up a Daxueshan inquiry station, connecting buses, discounts at local businesses, tourist attractions, and information services, making Daxueshan a new highlight for Taichung's ecological tours.
Yu Wei-Dao, Taiwan’s representative on the WBC Executive Committee and Honorary Chairman of Ecotourism Taiwan, noted that the World Bird Fair's Executive Committee represent global birdwatching organizations from around the world. This year, for the first time, the event has been expanded to include over 25 bird organizations from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia, and Europe. Taichung was chosen as the venue for the inaugural event, which will bring together hundreds of birdwatching enthusiasts from around the world, indirectly benefiting the local economy. International committee members have visited Taiwan for an on-site inspection and to meet with the city government, hoping to foster collaboration. Herbert Byaruhanga, a committee member from Uganda, shared his active involvement in the women's rights movement and expressed his delight upon learning that Taichung's mayor is a woman and that multiple women hold leadership positions within government agencies. He plans to share his experience of Taichung as a “female-empowered city” with his community upon returning to Uganda.
Maria Martha, a committee member from Brazil, shared that Brazil will be hosting the second World Bird Fair in 2027. She noted that Taiwan’s thorough preparations have made her concerned that Brazil will need to work even harder to exceed Taichung’s standards. Andrew Sebastian, a committee member from Malaysia, praised Taichung’s MRT system for incorporating the sounds of seven local bird species as the entrance and exit sounds. Mike Lu, a committee member from the Philippines, thanked Mayor Lu for her support, which has made Taichung the first city to hold the World Bird Fair, an event of great historical significance that will be remembered by the global birdwatching and ecotourism communities. Horaico Matarasso, a committee member from Argentina, also expressed his confidence that through this collaboration, Taichung will host the best inaugural World Bird Fair.
According to the Tourism Bureau, the event will take place on September 20 and 21 this year at Taichung Civic Square. This major event will help establish Taichung as the leading destination for international ecotourism! For more information about the World Bird Fair, visit the Taichung Tourism website (https://travel.taichung.gov.tw/zh-tw/event/activitydetail/9652).