On July 25, the Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) held the APEC Resilient and Sustainable Cruise Industry Forum at the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel. Attended by representatives of the public and private sectors associated with the cruise industry from APEC economies, the Forum discussed topics related to boosting the resilience of the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region and promoting its sustainable development. A welcome address was delivered by Hsieh-lung Yeh, Director General of the MPB. Then, opening remarks were delivered by Jason Hill, Chair of the APEC Transportation Working Group (whose remarks were delivered through video recording), and Mohamad Halim Bin Ahmed, Chair of the APEC Maritime Experts Group (APEC-MEG). The Forum had an attendance of 106 experts from 11 APEC economies, including Australia, Canada, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mexico, as well as Taiwanese experts from industry, government, academia, and research institutions.
    During his welcome address, Director-General Yeh indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges for cross-border travel and set back the development of the tourism industry. Notably, the cruise industry was severely impacted. However, at the peak of the pandemic, Taiwan leveraged its comprehensive pandemic prevention measures and efficient spatial management and went ahead with the launch of the Explorer Dream cruise ship. With this accomplishment, Taiwan became the first in Asia and the second in the world to revive its cruise industry. The Explorer Dream has completed a total of 95 voyages, carrying 97,000 passengers and contributing approximately NT$5 billion to the domestic economy. It is clear that boosting the resilience of cruise industry is important to the economy, and the public and private sector should focus on its sustainable development.
    During his opening remarks, Mohamad Halim Bin Ahmed stated that although the pandemic and environmental protection issues have posed challenges to the cruise industry, adversity has also opened opportunities for the cruise industry to retrench and strengthen. With regards to enhancing industry resilience and achieving sustainable development, he suggested formulating comprehensive standards and guidelines to ensure crew and passenger safety and to enhance the cross-border tourism experience by including considerations of environmental responsibility. Additionally, he sincerely expressed his gratitude to Taiwan for hosting this meaningful forum.
    The Forum comprised three sessions. The first session was moderated by Mohamad Halim Bin Ahmed, Chair of the APEC-MEG. During this session, Dimity McCredie, Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs for the Cruise Lines International Association; Tanya Dare, Manager and Senior Policy Advisor for International Marine Policy of Transport Canada; Ted Blamey, principal of CHART Management Consultants; and Ronâle Taylor, the Chair of APEC Women in Transportation, spoke on the trends in the global cruise industry from a macro perspective and proposed environmental protection, disaster prevention, and gender equality issues as key influencing factors on the development of the cruise industry. The second session, moderated by Ted Blamey, focused on resilient cruise industry policies in the APEC from the perspective of the public sector. The speakers Professor H. Wayne Liu, former Deputy Director of the Tourism Bureau, MOTC (acting Professor at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism); Trần Thị Tuyết Mai Anh, Deputy Chair of APEC-MEG and the Director of International Cooperation and the IMO Department, Vietnam Maritime Administration; and Luisito U Delos Santos, Director of the Planning and Policy Service of the Maritime Industry Authority of the Republic of the Philippines, and other government representatives explained the current development status, challenges, and prospects of the cruise industry.
The third session was moderated by Dimity McCredie. During this session, Shu-Hui Cheng, Vice President of Business, Taiwan International Ports Corporation; Irene Chua, Vice President of Northstar Travel Group in Asia; and Leem Bok Soon, President of Korea International Cruise Institute, shared opinions on the trends in the cruise industry and their expectations for cruise-related government policies from the perspective of the private sector. Finally, the final discussion was moderated by Director-General Yeh. Representatives from Canada, the Philippines, Vietnam, and South Korea initiated practical and professional discussions on how ports can strengthen their relationship with local communities, develop onshore tourism destinations to attract cruise tourists, and enhance the resilience of the cruise industry.
    The MPB stated that cruise tourism plays a crucial role in the development of the tourism industry in the postpandemic era. The sharing and exchange of experiences between APEC economies during the Forum are expected to strengthen the resilience of the cruise industry in the Asia-Pacific region as well as around the world. The MPB looks forward to strengthening its collaboration with Asia-Pacific allies, jointly developing new business opportunities for the cruise industry, and ultimately restoring the cruise industry to its former glory.
Contact person: Section Chief Ling-yuh Huang, Planning Division
TEL: 02-89782790