Lawmakers Question NPM How to Attract Visitors 解封後故宮觀光 立委質疑變旅遊附帶品

During a legislative interpellation, National Palace Museum Director Wu Mi-cha said the museum will work with the tourism industry to come up with ways to boost gift shop sales once border controls are lifted.

Taiwan will be lifting border controls soon, and lawmakers want to know what the National Palace Museum is doing to attract visitors. They also want to know why the museum's southern branch has been promoting National Day fireworks and water shows instead of exhibitions.

Lin Yi-hua, Legislator (KMT): “The National Palace Museum is a world-class museum that no longer has an identity. You should be using content to draw foreign visitors. ”
Wu Mi-cha, National Palace Museum Director: “We have major exhibitions in October -- in the fourth quarter, and we announce information on next year's exhibitions at the end of this year.”

Lawmakers want to know what the museum is doing to attract visitors, and whether there are potential tie-ins with art and culture events. Museum Director Wu Mi-cha says it all depends on whether incoming travelers are business travelers or tourists, and which countries they're coming from. 

Fan Yun, Legislator (DPP): “So, you should be doing what other countries are doing and developing collective art and culture packages.”
Wu Mi-cha, National Palace Museum Director: “We can consider that. We can consider incorporating performance venues in Greater Taipei. We will hold discussions with the Ministry of Culture to see how we can work together.”

Wu says her focus is on the museum and the museum will attract visitors with peripheral travel itineraries, multi-destination itineraries, multi-museum passes, tourist passes and tour packages down the line. Wu also said NPM artifacts will not be exhibited in the Czech Republic until it legislates "immunity from seizure under the judicial process of cultural objects imported for temporary exhibition or display" laws to ensure items will return to Taiwan safely.

隨著國內疫情管制逐步放寬，台灣邊境即將開放，各界關注如何吸引觀光客回流。尤其以國寶文化著名的故宮博物院，疫情期間觀光客驟減，院長吳密察3日到立院備詢，解封後如何吸引觀光客到訪更是焦點。立委質疑，故宮近期藉由國慶煙火要在南院附近施放，力推看煙火、看水舞，卻看不到宣傳展覽。

國民黨立委林奕華質疑：「你沒有一個故宮主體，故宮是世界級的博物館，你應該用內容來讓國外觀光客願意進來呀。」

故宮院長吳密察對此回應：「今年10月本來就有，第4季就有重磅的展覽。明年的展覽，我們會在今年的年底就公告檔期跟展題的名稱，以便讓大家規劃他的旅遊時間。」

藍委持續追問，故宮如何吸引觀光客來訪？吳密察強調，會視國境開放後，來台的是商務客還是觀光客，以及來訪的是哪個國家的觀光客，持續評估、調整行銷手法。不過，綠委則追問，除了結合101等觀光景點聯手行銷，是否也能結合表演藝術活動？

民進黨立委范雲認為：「你其實應該開創的，是像其他國家有針對藝文這個群體的，能夠有不同的套票。」

故宮院長吳密察則表示：「我們可以考慮把大台北地區的表演的館所，一起納進來考慮，立刻跟文化部來談這個如何合作。」

吳密察強調，目前規劃以故宮為核心，為來訪的國際觀光客提供周邊旅遊行程資訊，串聯區域內觀光景點，並且辦理館所聯票、旅遊套票，打造組裝遊程，希望在解封後，短時間內將參訪人數拉上來。至於解封後，文物出訪捷克一事，吳密察強調，有待捷克完成「司法免扣押」相關立法，確保文物借展後能安全回台，一旦立法完成，文物就可赴捷克展出。