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Tourism Bureau targets 700,000 tourists this year
The Ministry of Transport and Communications’ Tourism Bureau says it is hoping to attract 700,000 foreign tourists by the end of this year and restore the total number of arrivals to pre-coronavirus-pandemic levels of about 10 million by 2024.
The statement comes after the government lifted all quarantine regulations for arrivals on Thursday. The bureau wants to promote multi-themed tourism such as developing sample travel itineraries, as well as recommending tours featuring ecology, culture, bicycles, and railways.
The transport ministry says it will work to gradually resume flight routes and cruise liner services to provide tourists with different travel experiences, while organizing training programs on epidemic prevention for travel guides and tour leaders.
Officials say the government will be targeting travellers mainly from Japan and South Korea in the first stage and then focus on those from countries included in the New Southbound Policy as well as from Europe and the US.
Meanwhile local tourism operators saythey're keen to cash in on a surge in Taiwan nationals wanting to travel overseas now quarantine regulations for arrivals have been lifted.The border reopening has caused a spike in demand for outbound travel. Richmond Tours says Europe-bound tours are very popular, with nearly two million NT dollars worth of tickets for a cruise trip to Europe in November sold, while a tour to Europe to view the Northern Lights in late December is almost fully booked.
The travel company says sales have been much better than expected and it has obtained the right to fly over 60 charter flights to Japan's Tohoku region, while it has signed contracts to offer passenger charter flights and cooperate with hotels in Vietnam and the Philippines.
