Taiwan looking to end tour group ban, raise weekly arrival cap to 100,000

台灣旅行團禁令有望結束，將每週入境人數上限提高到100,000人

When inbound passenger quota rises, shortened '0 + 7' quarantine plan likely


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is looking to lift the ban on travel agencies from providing international group tours, expanding the weekly incoming passenger quota to 100,000, and lowering quarantine to the "0 + 7" plan.

At a press conference on Monday (July 18), the Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) announced that he has asked the Tourism Bureau to consider lifting the over two-year ban on overseas group tours, reported FTV News. When asked whether borders would be opened to tourists in August, Wang said that the opening of the borders to tourists is "just a matter of time."

He pointed out that since the new government-sponsored hotel subsidy kicked off on July 15, as many as 20,000 hotel rooms have been booked under the incentive. Wang also noted that travel agencies have lost many of their tour guides and many need to be brought back or replaced, necessitating training.

Wang indicated there is a possibility that the weekly quota on arriving passengers could be raised to 100,000. When that occurs, based on the capacity of epidemic prevention hotels and quarantine taxis, the number of quarantine days may be further shortened from the current "3 +4" plan to the "0 + 7" scheme, according to Wang.

He added that he has also requested the Maritime and Port Bureau to study and plan for the return of international cruise ship lines to Taiwan.

Due to epidemic prevention measures at the start of the pandemic, the Tourism Bureau on March 19, 2020, imposed a ban on both incoming and outgoing international tour groups that remains in place to this day. On June 10, Japan opened up to foreign group tours, making it a likely candidate for Taiwanese guided package tours when they resume.

When asked to comment on the lifting of the ban on overseas tour groups and the shortening of quarantine, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Victor Wang (王必勝) on Monday said that the easing of such restrictions would not just be related to tourism, but also the overall situation with the pandemic. Therefore, Wang said that the CECC will discuss the matter with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and a decision will be made based on both the needs of the public and epidemic prevention considerations.