Taiwan looking to open to inbound, outbound tour groups simultaneously

台灣有望同時開放旅行團入境、出境

Tourism Bureau considering lifting ban on foreign tourists first or opening up inbound, outbound tourism at same time


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is looking to lift its two-year ban on tourism, possibly by first allowing both inbound and outbound group tours simultaneously.

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 ban on group tours, which has been in effect since March 2020. When asked whether borders would be opened to tourists in August, Wang said opening was "just a matter of time."

Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) added that the bureau is considering two options: "Allowing foreign tourists to enter first and later allow Taiwanese (tour groups) to go abroad" or "Lift the ban on inbound and outbound tourism simultaneously," reported UDN. Chang said both options are being presented to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), but that the Tourism Bureau is hoping for a simultaneous opening up for group tours.

Chang said preparations for inbound and outbound tours are underway, including training for team leaders, tour guides, and itinerary designers. To promote tourism to Taiwan, Chang said that the country is holding tourism exchange conferences with other countries such as Japan and Vietnam and will invite foreign media outlets to visit the nation.

He said there are two different markets involved and corresponding actions needed: enabling Taiwanese to travel abroad in groups and issuing tourist visas to allow foreigners to travel to Taiwan. The Tourism Bureau is hoping to lift barriers to both simultaneously, but the timing of the reopening to these groups will ultimately be determined by the CECC, said Chang.

Chung HsingTravel Service Chairman Lee Chi-yueh (李奇嶽) told the news agency that Taiwan has passed through the plateau period of the outbreak and the current risk of infection is similar to that of foreign countries. Therefore, Lee asserted that it is no longer necessary to lift the bans on inbound and outbound travel separately, instead it should be possible to ease such restrictions at the same time.

CECC Spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) on Monday confirmed that it has received the relevant official documents submitted by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications on the guidelines for international group tours to come to Taiwan. Chuang said that the center will arrange a meeting to evaluate the guidelines.

When asked to comment on the lifting of the ban on overseas tour groups and the shortening of quarantine, 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 pandemic situation. 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.