Japanese tour groups are to be the first foreign travelers allowed to enter Taiwan starting from the end of next month at the earliest, Tourism Bureau Deputy Director-General Trust Lin (林信任) said yesterday.
Lin’s announcement came a day after Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), told a news conference that the center might relax border restrictions from the end of next month.
The lifting of restrictions would be applied to incoming tourists before outbound Taiwanese travelers, Lin said, adding that the bureau has provided training for businesses in the tourism industry in preparation for the move since May.
Photo: CNA
The order to rescind the restrictions on specific nations and regions would be made according to the pandemic situation and the level of preparedness for businesses to service guests, he said.
Tour agencies must re-evaluate their itineraries to replace restaurants and hotels that have gone out of business before taking in visitors, while advertisements must start one or two months ahead of time, he added.
The CECC was therefore urged to give the bureau notice prior to making specific decisions about reopening borders so that the tourism sector can prepare, Lin said.
The bureau did not stop advertising Taiwan to tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation’s brand name has been kept alive by various promotional events, such as a sale of Taiwan-themed food in Japanese convenience stores, he said.
Taiwan is likely to become a favored destination for Asians eager to resume traveling, Lin said.
The bureau’s main effort would be focused on the nations that have historically supplied Taiwan with the largest number of tourists, such as Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian nations, he said.
Meanwhile, the CECC yesterday reported 26,761 new cases of COVID-19 and 45 deaths.
The deceased ranged in age from their 40s to their 90s. All except two suffered from chronic illnesses or other severe diseases, while 29 had not been fully vaccinated, the CECC said.
It also reported 39 COVID-19 cases newly classified as severe and 77 newly classified as moderate.
Among the severe cases were three young patients aged between 1 and 3, who were diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, the CECC said.
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