TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau (MPB) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with representatives from South Korea and the Philippines to establish a new international organization aimed at boosting cruise tourism in the region.

The group will be named the Asia Archipelago Cruise Alliance (AACA) and will serve the purpose of allocating resources to attract and develop the cruise industry. A primary goal of the AACA is to forge stronger tourism and business links between the three countries.

The signatories of the LOI, signed on Friday (Feb. 17), included the Association for Cruises Development Taiwan, the Korea International Cruise Research Institute, and the Philippines Maritime Industry Authority, according to a press release.



The director-general of the MPB Yeh Hsieh-lung (葉協隆) said the alliance will make it easier for cruise liner companies to target multiple islands when they design international cruise itineraries. Yeh indicated talks are ongoing with Japan, which is considering the possibility of joining the AACA.

After years of limited tourism due to the pandemic, Taiwan hopes that 2023 will be a year of revival for the tourism industry. The Ministry of Transportation and Communication hopes to have six million tourists visit Taiwan by the end of the year, reports Taiwan Today.

The AACA will help to meet that goal, while also forging stronger relations between Taiwan and neighboring countries.

Signatories at the launch event for the AACA, Feb. 17. (MPB photo)