Hualien Expands Global Tourism Reach-Mayor Hsu Promotes Travel in JP, Secures Charter Flight Support

(中央社訊息服務20260319 11:13:13)To capture the tourism market in Northeast Japan and deepen travel exchanges, the Hualien County Government hosted a high-profile “Hualien Tourism Promotion Event” in Sendai on March 13. The event drew significant attention from political and business leaders, including Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kori, who attended in person. During the session, Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei personally presented the county’s unique appeal to Japanese travel operators and invited Sendai City Councilor Hirofumi Nishizawa to serve as a tourism ambassador. This initiative triggered an enthusiastic response from Japanese agencies, who voiced their support for Hualien and pledged to organize charter flights as quickly as possible to introduce Hualien to residents of Sendai and the wider Tohoku region.

In her remarks, Mayor Hsu highlighted Hualien’s breathtaking mountain-and-sea landscapes and its wealth of cultural resources, ranging from therapeutic hot springs to world-class cuisine. She emphasized that Hualien remains a vibrant destination year-round, noting that August will feature two major international competitions: the 58th International Children’s Games and the 15th IDBF Club Crew World Championships. Mayor Hsu remarked that travel creates cherished memories beyond mere sightseeing and invited everyone to consider a trip to Hualien as a meaningful gift for themselves and their families.

Mayor Hsu also extended special thanks to representatives from the Morioka Dashi Promotion Association and Isao Kawamura, Secretary-General of the Morioka-Hualien Friendship Association, for the two-hour journey to attend the event. She noted that since the flight time between Hualien and Sendai is relatively short, she looks forward to using charter flights to bring the two communities even closer together.

Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kori reflected on the Great East Japan Earthquake 15 years ago, stating that the city was deeply moved by the overwhelming support from Taiwan during its hour of need. She also offered her sympathies to Hualien regarding the 2024 earthquake and heavy rainfall disasters, noting that tourism exchange is vital for urban recovery. Mayor Kori mentioned her previous collaborations with media to produce programs introducing Taiwan and expressed her hope that more travelers from Sendai and the Tohoku region will visit Hualien to further solidify the friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

Sendai City Councilor Hirofumi Nishizawa observed that the exchanges between Hualien and Sendai elementary school students prove that children are the most natural “ambassadors.” He stated that he was honored to be named a Hualien Tourism Ambassador by Mayor Hsu and pledged to immediately coordinate with operators to organize direct “Sendai-to-Hualien” charter flights. He hopes this initiative will foster mutual understanding and deepen Taiwan-Japan ties.

According to the county government, Mayor Hsu’s active promotion led to unanimous support from all Japanese travel operators in attendance. These companies pledged to organize familiarization tours to Hualien and work toward establishing regular charter flight programs. Hsu Chao-Lin, Chairman of Mingli Travel Service in Hualien, responded by stating that Hualien’s tourism industry will actively reciprocate by organizing return charter flights to Sendai to drive mutual development through two-way exchange.

The Hualien County Government expressed its gratitude to county policy advisors Lai Se-Chen and Chiang Ming-Ching for their assistance in ensuring the event’s success. The promotion attracted numerous industry leaders, including representatives from SenTIA (Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association), the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), and major firms such as JTB and NTA. The Hualien delegation featured a prominent group of tourism leaders, including Hsu Chao-Lin, Chairman of Mingli Travel Service and the Hualien County Tourist Bus Association; Huang Wen-Cheng, Director of the Hualien County Travel Agent Association; and Cheng Wen-Yi, Chairman of the Antong Hot Spring Tourism Association. Also representing the county were Lu Chia-Chi, General Manager of PAARK Waterfront Lifestyle; Su Yen-Ping, Associate General Manager of Promisedland Resort & Lagoon; Chang Yu-Fen, Vice Chair of Jinting Travel Service; and Kang Yu-Ling, Secretary-General of the Hualien Tour Guides and Tour Managers Association. Through destination presentations and B2B matchmaking, the event helped advance Taiwan-Japan tourism cooperation.