Taiwan has officially opened its borders to tourists and ended quarantine travel requirements. This change went into effect at 12:00am on Thursday morning.
Passengers on a Tigerair flight from Thailand that landed in Taiwan just after midnight were the first travelers to arrive under the loosened restrictions. Top epidemic official Victor Wang, Tourism Bureau head Chang Shi-chung, and other representatives were waiting at the airport gates to welcome the new arrivals.
Government officials also handed out prizes to tourists, including face masks, snacks, souvenirs, and Wi-Fi cards. One traveler also received a gift package worth over NT$100,000 (over US$3,000). The package contained two round trip Tigerair flights to Taiwan, two three-day high speed rail passes, transportation cards, and hotel vouchers.
Chang says this marks a major opportunity for Taiwan to revive its tourism industry. He says Taiwan has also lifted its ban on inbound and outbound tour groups and he looks forward to the country's tourism market rapidly returning to pre-pandemic standards.
Besides Thai tour groups, Taiwan also welcomed visitors from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Altogether over 20 travel groups have already arrived in Taiwan. The Tourism Bureau has also invited many international journalists and tourism workers to report on Taiwan's newest attractions and products.
Reports say that Taiwan expects around 230 tour groups including 3,630 people to arrive in the country by the end of October.