It is the weekend, and Ximending (西門町) is bustling with activity. A woman with blond hair lowers her head to study the map in her hand. From time to time she looks up, and then right and left, her expression revealing her state of confusion. A young man takes the initiative, walking up to her, saying hello, and asking if she is in need of assistance. The woman looks as if she has found her savior, a smile of relief on her face.
This woman’s name is Cindy. She has come alone from London as an independent traveler. Wanting to visit Longshan Temple (龍山寺), she hasn’t been able to find her way. With the enthusiastic assistance of this young man, Cindy is able to understand the route that she needs to take to reach her destination. This young man is a Taipei Visitor Information Center “Mobile Visitor Information Service Attendant” ( 走動式青年旅遊服務員). Every weekend, he and other service attendants appear in such popular tourist spots as Ximending, Shilin, and Xinyi, providing “mobile” travel information and services to domestic and international tourists.
Barrier-Free Communication in a Multitude of Languages
Taipei 101, Shilin Night Market (士林夜市), the National Palace Museum, and Ximending are some of Taipei’s most representative tourist spots, and are must-see destinations for visitors from around Taiwan and abroad. The Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government, in an effort to reduce any inconvenience caused by not being able to immediately locate a fixed visitor service center or encountering a language barrier, has assigned mobile visitor information service personnel proficient in three foreign languages, English, Japanese, and Korean, to provide directions and travel information on Saturdays and Sundays until December 31st of this year.
Wang Shijia (王施佳), head of the City Tourism Division (城市旅遊科) of the Department of Information and Tourism, states that “considerate,” “secure,” and “happy” are the three main adjectives associated with mobile visitor information services. Guided tours are offered on weekends and holidays in fixed places and at fixed times; this is the “considerate” aspect. Services are provided in a multitude of languages, enabling barrier-free communication with international travelers and bringing them a “secure” feeling. Working with Taiwan Mobile Telecom (台灣大哥大), chosen as exclusive-sponsor supplier of tablet computers and mobile Internet access, prompt and comprehensive services are provided, enabling tourists to feel “happy” during their limited amount of time traveling in Taipei.
Enthusiastic Diplomatic Vanguard
This year, a total of 60 outstanding young people have joined the mobile visitor information service staff, chosen from among more than 400 applicants. Each has his or her own area of specialty and strengths. Zhang Mengru (張夢如), who once worked at the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (台北捷運公司), is proficient in several languages. In addition to being fluent in English and French, she has no difficulty communicating in Japanese and Korean. Zhang believes that she learns a lot from helping tourists resolve various problems. “Wo hao xihuan Taibei!” says Tsukada Shoko – “I really like Taipei!” –speaking in Chinese with a Japanese accent. She is a graduate of Otsuma Women’s University in Japan. An avid traveler, she has visited a number of countries, but loves Taipei the most. Currently on a working holiday visa, she very much hopes to play a part in creating a friendly tourism environment in Taipei.
Jiang Yi (江怡) is a young person who already has impressive work experience. She has worked in public relations at the National Taipei University of Technology Innovation & Incubation Center (國立台北科技大學創新育成中心) , as a social media manager, and as a product manager for a technology company. Proficient in Korean, she has been on the receiving end of mobile tourism service when traveling abroad, and thus wishes to help other international travelers in her spare time.
Whether the day is bright and sunny or cold and windy, these mobile visitor information service attendants must spend long hours outdoors. This is a job that requires a great deal of enthusiasm. Yu-yen Chien (簡余晏), commissioner of the Department of Information and Tourism, has expressed her affirmation and gratitude to each of the mobile visitor Information service attendants: “Thank you for your hard work! Due to your efforts and determination, you have helped to build an even friendlier image for this city.” In her eyes, these enthusiastic young people are Taipei’s most outstanding frontline diplomatic personnel.
