Taiwan opens its doors to tourists after easing COVID-19 border curbs

Businesses related to tourism in Taiwan, are happy. The country has eased some of the world’s most stringent COVID-19 border curbs. As a result, there is a boost in sales. Travelers are trickling into Taoyuan International Airport soon after Taiwan scrapped its quarantine and isolation rules. However, visitors have to wear their masks. They must also provide proof of vaccination, take rapid COVID-19 tests and monitor their health for seven days. There were travelers at the airport for the first time in more than two years. The reopening announcement came two weeks ago. Since then, the travel scenario saw a rise in bookings and airlines added flights to accommodate the increase in demand. An official of a travel agency said tour bookings have increased by 20 percent. Many of the agencies had to rough it out over the past two years with sharp drops in revenue. They had to reduce on staff members. Tourism, businesses cheer as Taiwan reopens borders for international travel. Packages to popular destinations like Japan and South Korea are selling out fast. This is in spite of rising prices due to increased airfares and costs.

Incidentally, in 2019, about 17 million Taiwanese travelled overseas but the number dropped by 98 percent last year. The tourism industry accounts for about 4 to 5 percent of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP) before the pandemic. Apart from tourism, other businesses like hotels and restaurants are eager to see the return of tourists. Some of the retailers were working extra hours to stock up on products ahead of the reopening to meet an expected increase in demand. According to health authorities, the decision to reopen the borders came only after Taiwan confirmed that more than 70 percent of its population have taken their booster shots. They also have an adequate supply of vaccines, rapid test kits and medication for patients.

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