Travel agents optimistic as Taiwan plans to end mandatory arrival quarantine

2022-09-23

Travel agencies say enquiries about overseas travel are through the roof after the government announced plans to end arrivals’ quarantines as early as Oct. 13. An especially popular destination is proving to be Japan, which will open to independent tourists on Oct. 11. The transport ministry says it has already made plans to do away with quarantine hotels and quarantine taxi services, and resume normal operations at Taiwan’s international airports.

If you’re dreaming of experiencing autumn in Japan, now’s the time to make it happen.
Taiwan is expected to remove travel quarantines as early as Oct. 13, and Japan is opening up to independent travelers around that date. Phones are ringing off the hook at travel agencies.

Shan Feng
Travel agency
Japan is allowing entry to travelers without visas, and that’s driving up business for us. Before the pandemic, travel to Japan accounted for 40% of our revenue. We hope that Japan’s lifting of restrictions on visa-free travel can once again allow Japan travel to account for 30% of our revenue from mid-October to year’s end.

Travel agents warn that plane tickets to Japan are much more expensive than before.

Shan Feng
Travel agency
The price of tickets to Japan is up by 30% to 40%. But it’s worth it if you visit as an independent traveler, because shopping and other expenses are cheaper thanks to the weaker yen.

Airlines are ready for a travel boom. Tigerair Taiwan says it will add 220 flights in October to destinations in Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

Starlux Airlines has at least four weekly flights to 10 destinations, including Macau, Penang and Osaka. It is also resuming its daily flights to travel hotspots such as Singapore and Bangkok.

Agi Chan
Taoyuan airport industry association
We hope the government will be more proactive in opening up to more people, so that we can gradually revive our economy. I think it would be very helpful toward economic recovery in Taiwan and abroad.

Go into Taoyuan Airport now, and all you’ll see are empty corridors, even during business hours. A local industry representative says he hopes Taiwan will open up as soon as possible to boost economic recovery.

Wang Kwo-tsai
Transport minister
We have finished up the guidelines for arrivals and departures, and conducted the relevant training courses. On this front, things will return to normal. We hope more tourists will come to Taiwan.

The transport ministry says that starting Oct. 13, quarantine hotels and taxis will cease to exist. Taoyuan International Airport will return to operating as it did before COVID, ready to welcome travelers once again.

"入境0+7"將上路帶動旅遊業者摩拳擦掌

2022-09-23

10月13日起，0+7正式上路，日本也宣布10月11日開放免簽證入境自由行，不少民眾已經開始規劃行程，不過，旅遊業者強調，日本機票已經漲了3至4成，業者形容，解封宛如強心針，業績將恢復到疫情前的三成。

想到日本賞楓，現在就能上網看機票了，台灣預定10月13日入境0+7上路，日本也宣布將開放自由行，讓旅行社電話接到手軟。

[[旅行社資深副總單葑]]
“(日本)免簽的開放，對業者來講就注入強心針，疫情前的部分，日本市場占整體營收超過四成，希望這波趁著免簽開放，今年10月中到今年底，能恢復到疫情前三成的水準”

不過，業者也說，到日本的機票漲了不少。

[[旅行社資深副總單葑]]
“整體日本票價漲幅3到4成，但自由行部分，到當地目的地，因為日圓貶值，相對來講旅客購物，消費部分，相對划算”

航空業者也興奮，虎航日、韓、泰國十月將增加超過220個班次。

星宇航空，澳門、檳城、大阪等10個航點，平均每周增班4班以上，新加坡、曼谷等熱門航線，更已恢復每日飛航。

[[桃園機場產業發展協會常務理事詹成吉]]
“希望政府能夠更積極地開放更多的人，讓我們慢慢地恢復整個經濟，對於國內外的經濟復甦，我相信會有很大的幫助”

走進機場裡，明明是營業時間，免稅商店空蕩蕩，業者希望國門早日開放，復甦經濟。

[[交通部長王國材]]
“我們在出入境指引都做好了，相關有些培訓做了，這部分就恢復到原來的樣子，期待有更多觀光客到台灣來”

交通部做好準備，訂好出入境指引，10月13日起，防疫旅館、車隊將逐漸退場，機場也恢復動線，部長王國材大聲歡迎各國觀光客來台。