The Taichung World Flora Exposition will be held in 2018. In the same year, 2018, Penghu will also organize “2018 The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan.” On the 24th, Mayor Lin Chia-lung took “Love”, the leopard cat sister that had ever visited the offshore island for the first time, to visit Penghu, and signed the LOI (Letter of Intent) with the Magistrate Chen Kuang-fu of Penghu County, to lay a new milestone for regional cooperation. In addition to hearing the whisper of flowers blooming, we can also enjoy the magnificent bay landscapes of Penghu Island.
On the 24th, Mayor Lin, Director-General Chen Sheng-shan of Tourism Bureau, Director-General Huang Yu-lin of the Construction Bureau, Director-General Wang Jiun-shong of the Agricultural Bureau, and “Love,” the mascot of the Floral Expo visited Penghu together. Mayor Lin also signed the MOU with Magistrate Cheng Kuang-fu of Penghu County to promote “2018Taichung World Floral Exposition” and “2018 The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan” together. Mayor Lin and Magistrate Chen exchanged the logos in the meeting to symbolize they are going to market these major events together. They will participate in the opening ceremonies, exhibition, and other activities of each others.

Mayor Lin expressed that Taichung and Penghu signed the LOI today mainly because Penghu is going to organize The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan next year, and Taichung will hold the Taichung World Floral Exposition in the coming year too. It is hoped to create a win-win situation with integrated marketing. Taichung and Penghu are very close to each other, we expect the blue highway will link both places together. At present, Taichung has already established the Seven Counties and Cities Tourism League, with about 7 million people. It is believed that signing LOI with Penghu, it will enhance the tourism capacity of the League to conduct a Seven plus One tourism marketing. Even when Penghu is in the low season, it can still attract visitors, and it will also help enhance Taichung’s attraction to visitors too.

Mayor Lin pointed out that Penghu is like a treasure endowed by God. It has also undergone strict international certification, scheduling to organize The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan next year. Taichung City Government hopes to market these beautiful bays to the world, bringing more visitors to Penghu. At the same time, with Taichung Harbor and Taichung International Airport as the gateway, it is believed that the events The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan and Taichung World Floral Exposition that will be held consecutively next year will bring a festive mood to the entire Taiwan. And today is also an important day that Taichung and Penghu have established a friendship like sister cities, laying an important milestone.

He also said from May 31 to June 3, 2018, the Taiwan-Japan Tourism Summit Forum will be held in Taichung. He also invited Magistrate Chen to visit Taichung and introduce the beautiful bays at Penghu and related sightseeing resources to the travel agencies from Japan. With integrated marketing, resource complementation, mutual cooperation, both places are going to conduct integrated marketing to constitute a win-win situation.

Magistrate Cheng Kuang-fu of Penghu County expressed that he felt glad that Mayor Lin came to visit him from Taichung, and paid his concern about Penghu’s tourism during the low season and the issues regarding long-term cooperation between Taichung and Penghu to pump visitors into the island. Next year, The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu will be held, presenting a series of exciting activities, including triathlon, yacht exhibition, food exhibition, and the tourism queen contest with participants from more than 40 countries. Marketing this event with Taichung’s Floral Expo, it will bring benefits to both places. In September next year, Taichung World Floral Exposition will begin its trial operation, and he would like to welcome visitors to followingly participate in The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu. It is believed that if 10 million visitors participating in the Flora Expo, with only 5% of them visiting Penghu, it will bring 500 thousand tourists there.

The Tourism Bureau of Taichung City Government pointed out that 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition will be held from November 3, 2018 to April 24, 2019. And The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu will be held from September 27, 2018 to October 31, 2018 The dates of both galas are very close, and both governments will provide bonus travel packages to attract visitors from Hong Kong and Macau. After visiting central Taiwan, they can fly directly to Penghu to visit the bays. In the manner of One Trip with Multiple Stops, it is expected to promote each other’s tourism, constituting a win-win situation.

In this occasion, both governments signed the LOI to conduct an integrated marketing of the Bay Carnival and Flora Expo. They have also built up the pattern of regional cooperation. At present, 6 to 7 planes flying to Penghu every day, and there are also 7 to 8 planes flying between Taichung and Hong Kong, providing visitors with convenient transportation. Travel agents can plan tour packages of Bay Carnival and Floral Expo to promote the extended tourism, and the tourism benefits of both places.

The Tourism Bureau expressed that 2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition is planned to be held in three major park areas: Houli Horse Ranch & Forest Park, Waipu Park, and Fengyuang Huludun Park, whose major appeals will be ecological conservation, refined agriculture, and environment construction respectively. Recalling the appeals of “GNP” ecology (Green), production (Nature), and life (People), it will constitute the concept of symbiosis with green, share the nature, and enjoy a humanistic life. All in all, it will construct Taichung into a garden city.

After 3 years’ endeavor, Penghu County Government had become a member of The Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) in 2012. Securing the opportunity actively, Penghu was granted the rights to organize “2018 The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan”. By then, there will be groups from 20 to 30 countries coming to Penghu, and it will allow more international visitors to learn more about the beauty of the bays in Penghu. Promoting international tourism further, it will increase the prosperity of the islands.

In addition, Taichung City has been promoting the tourism policy of “arriving in and departing from central Taiwan.” With the “twin-terminals of the harbor and airport” at Taichung Harbor and Taichung International Airport, it will become the most important transportation gateway in Central Taiwan. In 2015, Taichung established the “Central Taiwan Seven Counties and Cities Tourism League” to integrate the sightseeing resources of these counties and cities. With international and regional cooperation, it’s going to promote tourism benefits of both parties.

Taichung City would also like to welcome Penghu to join the Central Taiwan Tourism League. With the frequent transportation between these two places, they will become the ideal location of extended travel for visitors. Integrating with Penghu’s diverse sightseeing features and trips, it will promote the number of international visitors in central Taiwan. With the special and magnificent landscapes and gourmet food in Taichung, they are working on the “One Trip with Multiple Stops, and Twin-Island in One Visit” to accomplish the tourism synergy of 1 + 1 > 2.