Pingtan taps local culture and exerts strengths to build an international tourist destination

Full sincerity and full enthusiasm is a real reflection of Pingtan's tourism talent attraction efforts in recent years.

The CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Fujian Provincial People's Government issued the Opinion on Further Speeding up the Opening-up and Development of Pingtan this February, making a clear proposal on implementing the new-round "four-thousand" project (introducing 1,000 professional talents from Taiwan, selecting and appointing 1,000 young talents, recruiting 1,000 domestic and overseas talents, cultivating 1,000 experimental zone talents), to introduce various outstanding talents inside and outside the mainland meeting Pingtan's need for opening-up and development.

Pingtan has created a pattern integrating the functions of "experimental zone + pilot free trade zone + international tourist destination", made persistent efforts in perfecting the talent work system and renovating the talent mechanism, and constantly provided intellectual and talent support for the construction of Pingtan International Tourist Destination.

In October 2015, Pingtan released the Notice on Nine Interim Measures for Promoting Tourism Development. According to the Notice, anyone signing up for the National Tour Guide Qualification Examination in Pingtan shall receive a lump-sum reward of 1,000 yuan if he or she obtains the Certificate of Primary Tour Guide through the examination, a lump-sum reward of 2,000 yuan if he or she obtains the Certificate of Intermediate Tour Guide through the examination, and a lump-sum reward of 3,000 yuan if he or she obtains the Certificate of English or Minority Language Tour Guide through the examination. Besides, anyone working as a tour guide after passing the examination shall be rewarded on an annual basis in accordance with the standards above. So far 135 guides in Pingtan have obtained the Certificate of International Tour Guide.

In March 2015, the China National Tourism Administration issued a document in support of the opening-up of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone, expressly supporting Taiwanese tour guides and leaders in practicing in cities divided into districts or experimental zones where pilot free trade zones are located. Thus, Fujian has released the Implementation Plan for the Practice of Taiwanese Tour Guides and Leaders in China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Plan for Practice and Management of Taiwanese Tour Guides and Leaders in China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone and other relevant policies.

Since the beginning of last year, China (Pilot) Free Trade Zone Pingtan Area has advanced the work of certificate change training and practice coordination for Taiwanese guides, and built a supply-demand platform between Taiwanese tour guides and travel agencies.

So far 139 Taiwanese tour guides and leaders have passed assessment. As of this May, 91 of them have signed contracts with local travel agencies or joined relevant industrial organizations in Pingtan, and obtained the tour guide certificate specific to China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Pingtan has kept releasing dividend and attracted flocks of Taiwan compatriots through its talent policies. Previously Pingtan released support measures for the entrepreneurship and employment of Taiwanese talents. This January Pingtan established a service center for Taiwanese talents, and worked out the service support plan for young Taiwanese talents, to intensify talent introduction and service.

"Professional Taiwanese talents can enjoy housing allowance, tax subsidy, settling-in allowance and other allowances in Pingtan," said Wang Peilin, adding that these talents can work wholeheartedly with their anxieties dispelled.

"In the next period, we will speed up talent attraction, and attract talents through more favorable policies, more suitable business forms and better services, to make them work and live in contentment in Pingtan," said a head of the Administrative Committee of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone.