According to the latest City and County Heads’ Governance Satisfaction Survey” by RW News, Taitung County Magistrate April Yao achieved a 67.16% satisfaction rate in 2024, marking another high approval. Notably, tourism and travel policies received high approval from county residents, with a satisfaction rate of 54.03%, demonstrating the effectiveness of Slow Economy development.
The survey also revealed that female residents highly approve of the county’s women and child welfare policies, with a 69.98% satisfaction rate. Taitung was the first in Taiwan to offer mammography screening from age 40, introduce the Mammography and Cervical Screening Mobile Clinic, and increase childcare subsidies. Additionally, the satisfaction rate among residents aged 60 and above reached 79.47%, reflecting the county’s dedication to elderly care services.
Taitung has promoted in-depth tourism through events such as the “Starry Taitung Night Concert” and the “Taitung Slow Food Festival”, leading to a record-breaking 8.7 million visitors in 2023. Despite the impact of the April 3rd earthquake on tourism in 2024, the year-end hotel occupancy rate rebounded to 80%, demonstrating the resilience and recovery of the tourism market.
In terms of low-carbon tourism, the county government has introduced the YouBike 2.0 Public Bike System, which will eventually establish 120 rental stations and deploy 560 YouBike 2.0 bicycles alongside 560 YouBike 2.0E Electric-Assisted Bikes, prioritizing Taitung City and major tourist attractions. The survey revealed an approval rating of 79.69% for the YouBike service, indicating a significantly successful rollout.
Since launching the Slow Economy initiative, the county has adhered to a governance philosophy of “Openness, Integration, and Innovation”, actively promoting 5G telemedicine, smart emergency response, and other innovative public services to enhance livability and sustainability in Taitung. The county has consecutively received prestigious accolades such as “Five-Star County Magistrate,” “Benchmark City Award,” and “Sustainable Happiness City Award”, further affirming its achievements in governance.
Magistrate Yao stated:
“Taitung’s beauty comes from its mountains, ocean, and starry skies. By making ‘slowness’ a part of our lives, we are not only respecting nature but also committing to the future. This achievement is entirely thanks to the county government team and the continuous support of Taitung’s residents. Looking ahead, we will continue implementing our policies, driving the Slow Economy transformation to create a better, more livable Taitung and a model for sustainable happiness.”
