Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Lin Chin-Jung Accompanies Mayor Chen Chi-Mai in Meeting with Taiwan Commercial District Federation to Promote Digital Transformation

Accompanying the Mayor in meeting with the Taiwan Commercial District Tourism Development Federation to promote digital transformation and revitalize commercial districts.
This morning, I accompanied Mayor Chen Chi-Mai in meeting with Chairperson Chou Shui-Mei of the Taiwan Commercial District Tourism Development Federation and her delegation of commercial district chairpersons from Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung/Changhua/Nantou, and Tainan gathered in Kaohsiung, joined by Tourism Bureau Director Chou Ling-Wen and Councilor Kuo Chien-Meng who is passionate about commercial district development. Many of them are allies I have worked with in the past on promoting commercial district development and regional revitalization, with wonderful shared accomplishments.

In recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of e-commerce have impacted local commercial district livelihoods. However, crises often present opportunities - how to seize the changing consumer patterns through digital transformation to expand existing economic scale is the top priority for commercial district development.
After hearing proposals from various commercial district chairpersons, Mayor Chen Chi-Mai shared his observations, telling commercial district partners that under this pandemic, the fact that Taiwanese can still maintain normal life and joyfully welcome the upcoming New Year celebrations is truly fortunate and something to be grateful for. Since the pandemic has not yet subsided and international tourists cannot visit Taiwan, why not seize the opportunity to push domestic tourism at full speed, so that people can enjoy high-quality tourism services without going abroad. The Kaohsiung City Government actively cooperates with local commercial districts like Sanfeng Zhongjie and Liuhe Night Market to jointly drive customers to commercial districts and night markets, hold marketing events, gather popularity, and revitalize commerce. Future plans include strategic cooperation with the six special municipalities to jointly link tourism and commercial district resources - for example, through accumulating spending points redeemable for travel in other cities, achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Through cooperation between city governments, by scaling up industries and improving services, domestic tourists can be attracted to stay.
In fact, facing competition from e-commerce platforms, the physical economy still has advantages. All good ways of life need the enrichment of ritual experiences, adding memories and atmosphere to our ordinary days. I believe that through digital transformation, traditional industries will not become history but will be accepted anew by people in novel, creative forms - just like the flavors in our memories that never fade but grow richer with time; just like today, seeing long-lost old friends still working hard alongside me for the betterment of a city.