國際會議協會亞太區總監 Noor Ahmad Hamid

這次很榮幸訪問到於10月14日應邀出席致理科技大學主辦，中華國際會議展覽協會協辦之「2016會展產業論壇─會展產業南向的機會與挑戰」的講者 — 國際會議協會亞太區總監 Noor Ahmad Hamid。

Noor Ahmad Hamid於馬來西亞旅遊促進局負責國際及國內旅遊推廣、媒體接待、會議及獎勵旅遊等活動籌劃，他派駐洛杉磯五年，積極參與會議和獎勵促銷活動，在其為期16年的馬來西亞旅遊促進局工作期間，負責活動管理、贊助和創新旅遊商業計畫，經歷非常豐富。承蒙國際會議協會亞太區總監Noor Ahmad Hamid同意進行專訪。以下為訪談紀要：

Q: ASEAN is a big market and ICCA has doing good job in promoting meeting industry. If Taiwan wants to establish MICE business relations with ASEAN countries, what is your opinions and suggestions?
Q: 國際會議協會一直致力於推廣會議產業，其中東協是個很大的市場。如果臺灣想與東協國家在會展產業上合作，您的想法與建議為何?

A: For ICCA, we focus on the meeting, especially association meetings. ASEAN is in the Asia pacific region, therefore, we aware of the development of exhibition and incentive sectors. I think ASEAN is a huge market. As we said that countries outside ASEAN region like Taiwan for example, you better track the market of ASEAN. I believe there’s a lot of opportunity, you not necessarily that you have to focus into all different segments of MICE and incentive but you should concentrate on what you actually strong at, and what you want to further develop. I suggest that maybe look at the exhibition sectors, because that’s your strongest area, and definitely you can not only export some of your consumers and treat exhibition into ASEAN region, likewise you can also invite more events to Taiwan. By these two ways you can get benefit. When you talk about association market, there’s a huge groove of association in ASEAN region and again once the Taiwanese association leaders start to cooperate with them, there’s a huge opportunity for Taiwan. When you are close to ASEAN, you can use your relationship to let more ASEAN meeting to come to Taiwan. So this is one of the angles you can work with.
A: 對於國際會議協會而言，我們致力於會議產業，尤其是協會會議。東協屬於亞洲太平洋區域，因此，我們對於發展展覽及獎勵旅遊更為重視。我認為東協是一個龐大的市場。非東協的國家以台灣為例，最好跟上東協的腳步。我相信仍有很大的機會，不一定要投入每個領域，而是專注於自己的強項以及未來想發展的部分。我建議可以投入展覽產業，因為這是臺灣的強項。不僅可以讓更多顧客到東協辦展，同時也能邀請來臺舉辦更多會議，藉此獲得更大效益。若是談到協會市場，在東協有很大的成長，臺灣會議協會的領導者們應該開始與他們合作，與東協的關係越好，如此一來便有更多東協的會議來臺舉辦，這是可以著手努力的一塊。

Q: In those 10 ASEAN countries their development is widely different as far as tourism per capita is concerned. What does it means for Taiwan? What are the different promotion strategies to take?
Q: 這些東協十國的人民平均所得發展迅速，對台灣而言有何意義? 該如何運用不同的推廣策略?

A: The facts that I represented earlier on the GDP from the tourism sector and also the TTCI, which is the travel tourism competitive index is a good foundation for us to understand how the market established. In perspective, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand is top three, which make sense because they have been more aggressive in the tourism sector. They have good buildings, good facilities, attraction and also new tourism products. When it comes to travel tourism competitive index, they are the top. We should figure out the GDP and also the tourism receive. Countries like Cambodia is the top, because it based on the population base and composed the numbers of the arrivals. Because their population base is smaller than the arrivals and the figure seems much bigger, compare to other even more proper destination like Thailand and Indonesia. That figure means to Taiwan is that to understand how the market in ASEAN. While we are looking ASEAN as a region, at the end of the day, we have to understand each country by yourself. Like Indonesia is a huge country, Malaysia has east coast and west coast, Thailand has north and south, same as Vietnam. So we cannot just take them as one region, we can cooperate with the region, eventually doing marketing, sales promotion, and we have to understand specific area you want to going to. That figure would guide you to a basic understanding.
A: 這些數據可以讓我們知道目前市場的走向為何，像新加坡、馬來西亞以及泰國是前三名，這相當合理，因為他們在觀光產業發展上一直都較為積極。他們有良好的硬體設施、吸引人的景點以及新的觀光產品。我們也發現GDP與觀光產業的相關聯，像柬埔寨，他們人口組成數小於觀光人口數，所以數值看起來相較於其他更好的國家像是泰國和印尼來說，相對可觀。而對於台灣而言，就是了解東協的市場，雖然東協是一個區域，但還是要了解各個國家的不同特色。我們必須與東協合作，不論行銷市場或推廣銷售，我們都須了解什麼特定的區域是我們的目標，而這些數據將對了解東協市場有所幫助。

Q: Our Government has initiated new Southbound Policy, main targeted market is South East Asia. Would you please provide your opinions on what would be best ways to execute the policy?
Q: 我們政府提倡新南向政策，主要目標市場為東南亞。就執行層面上，最好的做法為何，是否能與我們分享您的想法與建議?

A: Definitely, the new Southbound Policy is the positive we’re look forward for Taiwan. Talk to the limitation, how you want to execute and get the improvement from both the buyer sector and also the population of Taiwan. Like I mentioned earlier, the successful of any policy is that you really do it now. If you look at ASEAN region particular 30, 40 years ago, they were under development nation, they are looking at the countries which are already develop like Taiwan, Korea and Japan, so there are a lot of countries in ASEAN they called it “Look East” Policy. Looking East means looking at the big brother and learning from the big brother. And now they are already developing well, and because of the huge population, and big consumer power in that region, a lot of countries now are looking at them. So it’s a reverse after 30 years, for Taiwan I think you really need to look at which area you want to focus, which area can benefit the people of Taiwan, then the policy would have more meaning. Right now, I think the whole concept is very positive but again we need to be very clear at the strategy at which particular area you want to going to.
A: 當然我們相當期待台灣的新南向政策，在執行方面，應該要兼顧商業與臺灣人民。一個成功的政策要真的有所作為。回顧東協三、四十年前，他們是未開發國家，他們像已開發國家像是臺灣、韓國及日本看齊。因此很多東協國家稱之為「向東望」政策。向東望意指像前輩學習。現在他們也發展得不錯，因為擁有龐大的人口以及消費能力，３０年後，也有越來越多國家像東協看齊。我認為臺灣需要專注於對人民有利的部分，這樣政策才有意義。現在，整個概念很好，但我們需要非常清楚什麼樣的策略是我們想要的。

Q: You have been in Taiwan several times. From your viewpoints what kind of strengths Taiwan do have in attracting MICE business to Taiwan and what strategies to take?
Q: 你來過台灣數次，從你的觀點，臺灣在MICE產業上具有什麼吸引人的優勢？以及該運用何種策略？

A: If you can use one word, I would say Taiwan is a livable place. Lots of people they have never been to Taiwan didn’t know that Taiwan is very clean and have a very safety environment. You can walk around and move from one place to another, there’s a lot of option of public transport such as taxi, bus, train, MRT, and lot of rental bike around the city. Therefore, that also shows Taiwan has developed the city into a smart city. Taiwan is also very sustainable and green, that is a key factor once you promote Taiwan as a livable city or livable destination, automatically people will think about Taiwan will be very sustainable, green and clean. In fact, that’s all true, if you promote Taiwan as beautiful unique culture that is quit subjective to me personally, because all the destination would claim the same but if take Indonesia or Malaysia as an example, our public transportation is not so good. We’re not so sustainable, and not very convenient to move around one place to another but Taiwan is not like that. So we really need to emphasis on what people didn’t know about Taiwan.
A: 如果用一句話形容臺灣，我會說台灣是個「良好居住的地方」。許多人從未來過台灣，他們不曉得臺灣是如此乾淨且安全的地方。很多地方走路都可到達，還有許多大眾交通工具，像是計程車、公車、火車、捷運甚至是可租賃的腳踏車。臺灣也很環保，這些都是推廣台灣為「良好居住的地方」的重要指標。如果你推廣的是臺灣特色文化，那對我個人而言，很多國家也都是推廣這個。但是像馬來西亞或印度，他們的交通並不如臺灣發達，因此，台灣應該多多善用這點推廣行銷。

Q: Middle East market is also important one for us to explore. And Malaysia has been doing very well in this market. Would you please share your opinions and suggestions for Taiwan on how to tap this market?
Q: 中東市場對我們來說抑是重要的開發市場，而馬來西亞一直在這塊做得很好。能否與我們分享您認為臺灣該如何進入中東市場？

A: The muslin travel group and tourism is not as high as many people think, Malaysia is fortunate because the biggest population are muslin. Therefore, the facility is already there, if you talk about tourists coming from Middle East to Malaysia, other than all the normal attraction, everybody go. In addition, wherever you go, there’s a lot of halal food, plenty to choose from. Secondly, because the population is mostly muslin, the prayer room is important because they pray five times a day. These are the basic items and praying facility should also be available. For now, muslin destination or country in ASEAN like Thailand, they are doing well in muslin group, because Thai is one of the largest producer of halal food. The hotel for muslin in the tourist resort, and even Bangkok hotels do serve halal meal, you don’t have to go to muslin hotel to get muslin meal. Similarly, I learned that in Japan two years ago, government’s policy had gone aggressively and trying to attract the muslin market. They don’t have so many halal restaurants. Therefore, the government in Japan leads all the restaurant reveals in the country. It’s easy for all the tourists to see where are the restaurants are located. They also broaden the praying area but most interestingly is they invite some of the private company in Japan to produce halal products in particular cosmetic, because they know that middle east market they have high interests about to buy expensive cosmetics but they have to buy halal product. Some of the companies in Japan has already gone into that. In my recent trip to Taiwan, I was very surprised, even thought you don’t have that many muslin restaurant and halal food but few of the halal restaurant I’ve been to, you called the restaurant as “muslin friendly”, it’s new for me. I didn’t know what is muslin friendly, but I went there they not only serve halal food but they provide different all the separate from other guests, that means I eat I will have a different plate, chopsticks, cup. I think Taiwan is moving to that direction. If you provide more these facilities you’ll be able to attract more muslin tourists. I think tourists from Malaysia, Indonesia or the Middle East will come to Taiwan if they know all the facilities are available and information can easily find in the website.
A: 穆斯林旅遊團不如大家所認為的這麼多，馬來西亞很幸運，因為他們最大宗的人口是穆斯林。因此他們已經擁有很多穆斯林的設施。相較於其他國家，對於穆斯林旅遊團來說他們會選擇馬來西亞而非其他國家主要是馬來西亞有許多清真認證的食物。除此之外，也有許多祈禱室可以使用。這些基本設備皆是容易取得。而現在其他東協國家像是泰國，在穆斯林旅遊這塊也做得不錯，許多清真認證食物都是他們製造的，而飯店也有提供清真認證食物，不用特別到穆斯林飯店就可以吃到清真食物。日本於兩年前也開始致力於穆斯林旅遊，政府團結餐廳，標示出哪些是穆斯林餐廳，讓旅客更能輕易找到之外，更與美妝公司合作，研發穆斯林認證的化妝品。在臺灣，近期讓我感到新奇的是，儘管臺灣沒有太多穆斯林餐廳，但少數穆斯林餐廳寫著＂穆斯林友善＂。我一開始不知道是什麼意思，後來發現原來他們針對穆斯林提供不同的服務，像是不同的餐具等等。讓我感受到臺灣正在朝著這方向前進。如果臺灣提供更多的設施，便能吸引更多穆斯林旅客。我認為一但來自馬來西亞、印尼或是中東的旅客知道臺灣有這些設備或是網路上有很多相關資訊可以得知，一定會提高他們來臺旅遊的意願。