In Taiwan forests total 2.1 million hectares, covering 58.5 percent of the area. Crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan has a subtropical climate with the exception of its extreme southern tip, which is tropical. The mountain ranges include more than two hundred peaks over 3,000 meters. Because of its great ecological diversity, Taiwan is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, including many endemic species. They serve as rich resources for the development of forest ecotourism. Toward this goal, the management of national forest recreation areas is being improved and the national trail system established.

To ensure the sustainable development of forest ecotourism, the focus was placed on the selection of scenic sites, service provisions, tour arrangements, and strategic alliances with communities to meet the tourists’ demands. During the year, 16 ecotour routes were designed. Furthermore, the COA conducted 56 forest eco-tourism activities of different types and 144 environmental education courses. In 2007, all the ecotourism activities attracted 3.27 million tourists, a record high in the past five years. To improve the environmental quality of eco-tourism sites, a monitoring system for 57 trails was set up.

To further promote eco-tourism, 33 promotion materials were published and showcases set up in nation-wide and regional tourism exhibitions. Also, two websites on the national trail system (http://trail.forest.gov.tw) and the forest recreation areas (http://recreate.forest.gov.tw) were constructed to provide easy access to ecotourism information. In addition, 132 training workshops were conducted to train tour guides. Hopefully, this drive will be of great help to the general public.