President Ma Ying-jeou outlined his vision Sunday for turning Taiwan into a 'tourism island' with the concerted effort of the private and public sectors. Addressing the faculty and students of National Kaohsiung Hospitality College, Ma said that in light of the improved relations across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan can save the energy and resources it would direct toward war preparedness and instead seek to boost its tourism development. 'I've asked my administration to make tourism one of the six sectors to be further developed, with governmental assistance, into Taiwan's flagship industries,' he said. He said Taiwan should emulate Hong Kong and Singapore, noting that tourist arrivals in each of those two countries exceed 10 million a year, a number that is far in excess of their respective populations. 'There is ample room for Taiwan to catch up in terms of tourism development,' Ma said. He exhorted the college to play a leading role in revving up hospitality development and education in Taiwan. The president sampled the dishes and dessert wine that were researched and developed by the students at the college. National Kaohsiung Hospitality College is the only professional college in Taiwan that specializes in hospitality training. Its mission is to train and educate managers for work in the tourism, travel and restaurant industries, and foster the advancement and development of local tourism. 