Siraya National Scenic Area Headquarters

The 2018 International Forum for Sustainable Tourism will soo be held on August 29 & 30, 2018 at the Conference Room of Yunshu Hall, Nanhua University by the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, discussing sustainable tourism policy and purple crow butterfly conservation. In the last several decades, the world’s tourism has prospered as one of the fastest-growing industries. When more countries choose to boost economic momentum through tourism, natural environs and local cultures come affected. This issue must be addressed, and thus the Administration hopes that by holding this forum, it can call for the world’s governmental tourism units to care for their travel environs and economic, social and cultural developments, while enlarging their tourism and economy scales.

Purple crow butterfly is one of the two wintering butterflies in the world. They migrate to the south in the winter, and return to their original habitats in the spring to breed. They may die when the temperature is less than 4 Celsius degrees. Purple crow butterflies normally live in all parts of Taiwan, but they move to warm southern valleys to spend their winter. When it gets warm again in the spring, they go back to the north, following the traces of the spring, and find suitable spots to breed and live. The Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, since 2009, has maintained an environment especially suitable for the butterflies. It works with conservation groups and local schools to grow plants which attract butterflies, such as “Kusukusu Eupatorium,” a nectar plant, in Hongye Park. At present, as many as 116 kinds of plants have been grown for butterflies.

Sustainable tourism and milkweed butterfly are the themes of the forum. It is hoped that, through this international event attended by experts and scholars from all over the world, the ways to conserve purple crow butterfly and to carry out sustainable tourism may be exchanged. The Administration hopes to gather suggestions for developing sustainable tourism in Siraya, while increasing Taiwan’s global presence in this field.

In line with the forum’s sustainable-tourism theme and to practice sustainable policy, the Administration has applied to join the Environmental Protection Administration’s low carbon emission scheme. Not only that all of the utensils used for lunch breaks are eco-friendly. The Administration will use as few posters and copies of research papers as possible, hopefully reducing the harm done to the environment.

Register for the forum at https://sites.google.com/nhu.edu.tw/2018isdberstd