A fantastic holiday with sunshine 2003 Kaohsiung Sea Port Holiday Passport 陽光假期2003高雄海港期護照
SARS has caused very serious damage to the tourist trade in the northern, central, and southern Taiwan. Similarly, markedly fewer Taiwanese are willing to go abroad for travel. In order to stimulate the tourist market at home, Kaohsiung City Government is linking up with private tourist agents. The 2003 Kaohsiung Sea Port Holiday Passport (SPHP) is provided and people from all over Taiwan are invited to enjoy holidays of sea and sunshine in Kaohsiung.
Various selling ways
The chairman of Bureau of Redevelopment, Li Wen-liang, explained that this year's SPHP whose way of selling is different from the selling mode. This year, the SPHP can be obtained from 1,300 FamilyMart convenience stores throughout Taiwan, from ezfly net, and from travel agents. Soon after Li's announcement there was a shopping rush. Within two weeks, more than 10,000 SPHPs were sold.
To offer a variety of choices for tourists from the north, center and south of Taiwan, the SPHP was arranged to meet tourists' needs as a passport with three kinds of prices for one-or two-day trips: NT699, 1399, and 3999 dollars respectively for an "Entertainment Passport", a "Leisure Passport" or a "Flying Passport."
The Entertainment Passport is suitable for people who can drive and tourists from the south of Taiwan. The journey includes Blue Lagoon Water Park, a steamship voyage from Kaohsiung Port, coffee in Urban Spotlight, National Science & Technology Museum, and Shoushan Zoo. The Leisure Passport is suitable for tourists from the center and the north of Taiwan, being a package for a two-day journey. Besides the attractions mentioned above, there are the view deck in the 85-floor skyscraper for fantastic scenery, a T-shirt with the pattern of sea port as a souvenir, and a hotel stay of one night. The Flying Passport is the same as package for two-day journey, but besides the attractions and hotel stay mentioned above, there is also a UNI AIR return ticket from Taipei to Kaohsiung.
Li Wen-liang points out that the 2003 SPHP allows a very rich program. It includes: Taiwan's top institution for applied science─National Science & Technology Museum; the only public zoo in the south of Taiwan─Shoushan Zoo; the view deck of the seventy-fifth floor of Taiwan's highest building─85-floor skyscraper; a journey of the world's fifth container port─Kaohsiung Port; the theme park having Caribbean-like scenery─Blue Lagoon Water Park. The chairman of Kaohsiung Tourism Association, Huang Chin-hsiang, explains that the 2003 SPHP has three choices, with the same prices for adults and children. The SPHP is valid for one year, from May 1st 2003 to April 30th 2004.
Rich programs
In Blue Lagoon Water Park, the entrance fee will be waived for children under the age of three or under ninety centimeters in height (so long as they are accompanied by adults holding a SPHP).
The vice general manager of Blue Lagoon Water Park, Huang Ming-hsien, emphasizes that this theme park (which is totally outdoors) has nine towers of sand providing its filter system─enough to supply ten pools with water of the quality used for the Olympic Games. The water also passes through an ozone and ultraviolet filter system in order to maintain its purity.
Since SARS began, Blue Lagoon Water Park has increased its check on water quality and its frequency of pasteurizing. Professional examiners check the water once every two hours and pasteurize toilets and dressing rooms are checked three times each day. Tourists and staff are given ear temperature checks when entering and leaving. People whose ear temperature is over the designated limit are forbidden to enter the water park in order to guarantee water quality for all tourists.
One of attractions available to SPHP-holders, Urban Spotlight, is a new and popular leisure option. While numerous projectors provide a fantastic show of light and shadow, friends meet to drink coffee and listen to concert music. This gets away from Kaohsiung's former image of being in the outback and produces a romantic atmosphere.
An urban culture of high style and quality is central to Kaohsiung. Urban Spotlight is one of events launched by Mayor Hsieh, to advance the process of beautifying the city. It includes pleasing street furniture, public art spaces, and the creation of cultural environmental atmosphere on the street.
The first part of Urban Spotlight creates band-shaped paths using light. The second part is that, with the paths, a space is designed for people and performances. The space has several important design elements: square, path, green color, and water scenery.
Discount shops
The SPHP also offers the other features: international tourist-standard and business-standard hotels; air travel between Taipei and Kaohsiung; many selected specialist shops selling, for example, Chi-ku(flags & drums) cakes, Chi-ku wine, and so on; romantic Urban Spotlight coffee; Chin-li-ching international cabaret; some journeys with the Aloha Coach Company; ten shopping streets of great character. All offer tourist discounts. The program available using this special passport is very rich and diverse.
Mayor Hsieh notes that this year's SPHP is selling better than expected. The reason is the link-up with private tourist firms that have had many years of experience in marketing.
The network selling 2003 Kaohsiung SPHP includes all FamilyMart convenience stores, travel agents, and also the ezfly website. http://kAohsiung.ezfly.comhttp://kAohsiung.ezfly.com
台灣北中南旅遊業全面遭ＳＡＲＳ嚴重衝擊，民眾出國旅遊意願也相對大減。為了刺激國內旅遊市場人氣，高雄市政府結合民間旅遊業者共同推出「２００３高雄海港假期護照」，邀請北中南民眾徜徉高雄的陽光、海浪。
多樣銷售管道
建設局長李文良表示，今年海港假期護照有別於以往的銷售模式，透過全家便利商店全台一千三百多個門市、易飛網網路行銷及旅行社等通路。因此一公開預售，即在旅遊市場上造成一股搶購熱潮，短短兩星期已售出超過一萬本。
為了提供北中南遊客多樣化的行程選擇，今年海港假期護照特別針對遊客需求，設計一日遊、二日遊等三種不同價位的護照選擇。分別為「玩樂護照」699元、「悠遊護照」1399元、「飛行護照」3999元。
「玩樂護照」適合開車族及南部遊客使用，內容包含：布魯樂谷親水樂園、「港都輪」遊高雄港、城市光廊喝咖啡、國立科學工藝博物館、壽山動物園。「悠遊護照」為適合中北部遊客購買的二日遊套裝行程，除包含上述景點外，再增加「高雄八五大樓觀景台」、贈送海港紀念衫，以及飯店住宿一夜。「飛行護照」亦為二日遊套裝行程，除包含上述旅遊景點及飯店住宿一夜外，再加上立榮北高來回機票一張。
李文良表示，「２００３高雄海港假期護照」行程內容豐富，不僅結合全國第一座應用科學的國立科學工藝博物館、南台灣唯一的公立動物園壽山動物園、全國最高的高雄八五大樓第七十五樓觀景台、世界第五大貨櫃港的高雄港遊港行程，還有洋溢加勒比海風情的布魯樂谷親水主題樂園等景點。
高雄市觀光協會理事長黃金祥說明，2003陽光海港假期護照共有三種選擇，採大人、小孩同價。護照有效期限自2003年5月1日至2004年4月30日止，一年有效。
豐富行程內容
使用布魯樂谷親水主題樂園兌換券時，三歲且九十公分以下的兒童，由持有海港假期護照的大人陪同，可免費入場。
布魯樂谷親水主題樂園副總經理黃明賢強調，該水上主題樂園是一個完全開放的戶外空間，園區內有九座沙塔式濾水系統，足以供應十座國際奧運水池標準水質。同時經過臭氧及紫外線殺菌系統過濾水質，使園區水質保持在標準狀態。
ＳＡＲＳ疫情發生後，布魯樂谷更增加水質監測及消毒次數，每兩個小時由專業人員檢測一次水質，洗手間及更衣室每天消毒三次。遊客進出園區及員工每天上下班、進出園區都要量耳溫，只要體溫超過標準值即禁止入園，以確保入園遊客玩水品質。
海港假期護照景點之一的「城市光廊」，更是高雄地區民眾近年來熱門的休閒新選擇，在夜間燈光投射、變幻光影莫測下，與朋友相約喝咖啡，聆賞音樂演奏，令原本草莽的高雄展現浪漫風情。
「城市光廊」是高雄市長謝長廷城市美化運動的事件之一，並且逐漸在高雄蔚為一種「有格調、有質感」的城市文化風潮，有都市街道傢俱的視覺整合、公共藝術介入空間、街道文化環境氛圍的營造。
城市光廊第一期是一條街道的帶狀路徑，第二期除延續該路徑外，還設置可聚眾、表演的空間。因此，在空間的設計上，有廣場、路徑、綠色、水景等。
優惠折扣商店
海港假期護照並且搭配國際觀光級及商務級大飯店住宿，以及北高航線，並精選多家特約商店如旗鼓餅、旗鼓酒，浪漫風情的「城市光廊」咖啡、金麗晶國際演藝秀、阿羅哈客運及十大特色商店街等，提供遊客消費優惠折扣，護照內容十分豐富而多元化。
謝市長表示，今年海港假期護照銷售情況比預期理想，主因結合民間觀光相關業者，已累積連續幾年行銷高雄經驗。
「２００３高雄海港假期護照」銷售通路，除在全台全家便利商店、各大旅行社可購買外，遊客也可以上易飛網網路購買。http:// Kaohsiung.ezfly.com。