The Youth Development Department of the Ministry of Education recently held a Sharing workshop on Tourist Experience and Learning at the Champion Plaza in Hsinyi District, Taipei City, where the department also presented awards for performing excellent teams in its programs. The Tainan Tour Buddy Service Program was guided by Southern Taiwan University Department of Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Management. Director Ying-Ren Pan and Volunteer leader Yu-Chi Zheng were invited. To attract international youth to Taiwan and create a friendly environment for tourists, the Youth Development Department of the Ministry of Education organized the "Tour Buddy Service Network for Young Partners" program to provide young international backpackers with guided tours and relevant travel advisory services. The program encouraged the students and foreign students to communicate with each other and thereby develop an international perspective. It is hoped that through the participation of young volunteers from college and universities, international young people will be able to recognize the beauty of Taiwan and experience the enthusiasm of Taiwanese youth, so as to re-create a new sightseeing image of Taiwan as an island with "awesome mountains, multiple cultures, great hospitality, and culinary delights."

【Director Ching-Shui Luo of Youth Affairs Department (third from right) and Leader Yu-Chai Zheng of STUST Tour Buddy Team (first from right), Prof. Ying-Ren Pan of the Department of Leisure. Recreation and Tourism Management (second from right), and other teams members】

The 2017 Tainan Tour Buddy Service Project was organized Department of Leisure, Recreation and Tourism Management, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Tainan Cultural and Creative Industrial Park. In order to make international young people coming to Taiwan for study or tourism know more about Taiwan’s beauty and experience the unique charm of Tainan, its lifestyle, culture and creative goods through the enthusiastic explanation of young volunteers, the commissioner of the project, Prof. Ying-Ren Pan, designed two half-day itineraries for Tainan students with unique and creative cultural tastes. “Tainan's creative life” and "Green travel” are the two city-tours with their own unique characteristics. The trips in half a day are for visitors to experience the most unique Tainan places and offer them a new perspective of these places in Tainan. The Tainan Cultural and Creative Program will enable visitors to experience a new generation of cultural ideas in six different aspects of one’s life, including Food, Clothing and Living.

【Posters for Tainan Creative Life and Green Travel by Tour Buddy Team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology】

【Tour Buddy team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology as tour guide volunteers for high school students】

Young Buddy is a good partner Tour Buddy service network project without any staff costs; it is a purely volunteer service. Project Manager Prof. Pan said that the original writing program was to undertake services for the following two reasons. In terms of tourism, there are two unique tours for promotion of Tainan’s tourism, combined with the voluntary guides (local experts) or low-carbon vehicles (such as electric vehicles), targeting at groups in a green mode of travelling. It is hoped that the tours can change the pattern of Taiwan's city tours into one with depth and quality. Due to the political factors of the rotation of political parties, the tourism industry had suffered from huge losses. With the help of this free guided tour service provided by international youth, we can upload photos of community attractions through social groups, attracting more international youth or families to come to Taiwan and increase the number of international free-riding and backpacking tourists. From the educational perspective, on the other hand, both Tour Buddy young volunteers and service-using youths are deeply involved in understanding local culture and local culture in our country, thereby acquiring more opportunities for exchanges. Tour Buddy Youth Volunteers also provide guided tours in Chinese and other foreign languages. They have to improve their language skills and cultivate practical experience before they can seamlessly enter the tourism industry after graduation to become a professional tourist guide.

【Tour Buddy team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology as tour guide volunteers for tourists】

【Tour Buddy team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology as tour guide volunteers for tourists】

Minister of Education Wen-Chong Pan said that for a long time our country has been working hard to exchange and interact with the international community, trying to increase exchanges between young scholars and students in bilateral affairs and providing high-quality educational services. It is hoped that this will enable our colleges and universities to open up an international exchange for substantive education and deepen the interaction and alliances between the two parties in their relationships.

【Tour Buddy team of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology as tour guide volunteers for tourists】

【Minister of Education Wen-Chong Pan (center) and Director Ching-Shui Luo of Youth Affairs Department (center right) with all the members of the team】