Liberty Times

April 14, 2009

A Swinhoe’s Pheasant Brings a Major Conference to Taiwan

Canadian Dr. Peter Ward came to Taiwan for the first time in 2003 on a birding tour.  He was very impressed with Taiwan’s natural beauty, especially the birds.  He knew that his wife, Dr. Rebab Ward, would be involved with organizing a conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2009, and he recommended to her that the event be held in Taiwan.  There were five countries competing for the privilege of hosting the conference.  Persuaded by her husband and film images of beautiful Taiwan from his 2003 trip, she decided on Taiwan as the site for the 2009 conference. The event, bringing more than 2,000 experts from over 50 countries, will take place in Taipei, April 19–24. It is estimated that the conference will bring more than NT$ 100 million to Taiwan. Eco-tourism not only makes Taiwan more visible internationally but also brings economic benefit.

Dr. Peter Ward, a professor of civil engineering at University of British Columbia, has 47 years of experience in birdwatching.  On his 2003 trip to Taiwan, he was lucky to see a male Swinhoe’s Pheasant along a forest trail on Dashyue Mountain. He was astonished and deeply moved by the bird’s beauty.  After that, he was impressed wherever he went birding in Taiwan.  He is accompanying Rabab, a former president of the IEEE, to Taiwan to attend the conference; they will do some birdwatching before the conference begins.

Yesterday, they met with Simon Liao, Chairman of the International Taiwan Birding Association, in Changhua, and will go birding at Dashyueshan National Forest Recreation Area, Ali mountain and other destinations in Taiwan.  Liao pointed out that when much attention is focused on how many Chinese tourists visit Taiwan, people seem to forget there are other international visitors, from the U.S.A., Canada, European countries and Japan. Eco-tourism such as birdwatching might be a small market, but Taiwan’s world-renowned bird ecology is well positioned to promote more tourism brought by large conferences.  International birdwatchers are mostly professional or retired people, said Liao. They can afford to go on a 2-week tour and are likely to come back again or recommend the tours to their friends and family.  It is the best marketing for Taiwan tourism. 

original Mandarin