Taiwan, an island country, has a total coastline of more than 1,500 kilometers. Most of them are beautiful and breathtaking, however, not many Taiwanese appreciate the beauty of the sea and do not see themselves taking a holiday at the beach.
Therefore, in order to let the general public better understand the charm of the sea, the Maritime and Port Bureau collaborated with the Taiwan Design Institute to come up with the new concept of “TAIWAN Hi”, to promote marine tourism, as well as to develop the “Blue Highway” of shipping services, port facilities, and ship efficiency. In other words, the government wants to improve the maritime passenger transportation services to let the public know there is another way to explore Taiwan.
The campaign of “TAIWAN Hi” included a more aesthetically pleasing and comfortable cabin for passengers, among others. For example, the new cruise of Penghu archipelago which made its maiden voyage in September last year, emphasized people-oriented design. The Penghu archipelago, located in the southwest of the Taiwan Strait, comprising 90 islands, is steeped in history and culture, with magnificent ocean views and many other natural wonders.
To attract more interest from the general public, the Maritime and Port Bureau has cooperated with a number of travel agencies to jointly create marine tours, including tours with the theme of sustainability and the protection of sea turtles at Xiaoliuqiu, Kinmen and Penghu. The Bureau also works to promote the history and culture of navigation and lighthouses.
One of the reasons the Taiwanese authority embarks on this marketing campaign is because of history. Taiwan was under 38 years of martial law from 1949 to 1986, and the impact on people’s lives and mentality was immense, one of which was restriction on freedom of movement. There were military and police patrols along the coastlines and this inadvertently led to people having the perception, rightly or wrongly, of danger, infiltration and defection associating with the sea.
Photo credit: Maritime and Port Bureau of Taiwan
