07/03/2024
#2023 Green Destinations Story Awards category Business & Marketing
Toucheng Leisure Farm (Yilan Taiwan), known for its agricultural ecotourism, has been honored with the 2023 Global Top 100 Green Destinations Story Award in the Business & Marketing category.
Represented by Vice President Cho Chih-Cheng, Toucheng Leisure Farm received the prestigious award at the Berlin International Travel Trade Show on the 6th of March (Central European Time). The 2023 Global Top 100 Green Destinations Story Awards at ITB Berlin consisted of six categories, with six destinations nominated in each category, ultimately selecting the top three. In 2024, for the first time in the Business & Marketing category, three GTS operators were recognized, including Toucheng Leisure Farm from Taiwan, and others from Mexico and the Philippines. This marks a milestone for Taiwan's leisure agriculture expanding into the international market. It also follows Toucheng Leisure Farm's achievement in 2023, where it won the second international tourism award for Best Innovative Tour Program in the Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) annual ecotourism competition.
Spanning 120 hectares of abundant natural resources, Toucheng Leisure Farm has developed ecotourism with an agricultural focus. The farm plants over 3,000 trees annually, practices carbon reduction through sustainable agriculture, and utilizes a green kitchen next to the organic vegetable garden for local elementary schools to implement food and farming education. The concept of designing food on the table embodies the stories of local friendly farmers and fishermen, highlighting the local culture and added value of agriculture. In recent years, Toucheng Leisure Farm's green initiatives have brought sustainable development opportunities to the community.
The award ceremony was hosted by the Representative Taiwan Office in Berlin Germany, welcoming the Taiwan delegation at the Taiwan Story Exhibition Booth in Berlin ITB. Accompanying the delegation were the Northeast and Yilan National Scenic Area Administration (certified with the Green Travel Destination Gold Award) and the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan National Scenic Area Administration (certified with the Green Travel Destination Bronze Award). All of them received international recognition for being green travel destinations, and the certification ceremonies were conducted during the same award ceremony.
Amidst global environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, green tourism has emerged as a new trend in the international tourism market. Taiwan's diverse landscapes, rich ecology, and the warm and cultural charm of rural areas position it as a potential player in international ecotourism. The various units receiving certification and awards demonstrate Taiwan's potential in the international market for ecological tourism and provide new momentum for Taiwan's participation in global sustainable development issues.