The Tourism Administration led a delegation of 30 people from 16 different Taiwanese tourism organizations to Cambodia and Laos from Sunday to Friday with the aim of exploring emerging markets in Southeast Asia.
Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Administration Office Director Chou Hsin-yi (周欣毅) says that currently, very few Laotian tourists visit Taiwan, there are no direct flights between the nations, and Taiwan does not have a permanent office in Laos. Chou points out that even prior to the epidemic in 2018 the number of Laotian tourists visiting Taiwan reached barely 1,000 and last year there were only around 800.
Around 50 people from the media and local businesses were in attendance at a promotional event on Wednesday. Taiwan Eagle Tour Chair Lin Yu-hua (林玉華) observed that most of the local companies had inquiries stemming from their unfamiliarity with Taiwan. Lin says the questions they asked were simple such as how to apply for a visa and what sort of tourist destinations there are. She says there was significant interest in Buddhist temples and also pointed out that Taiwan is appealing to Laotians for being surrounded by sea as Laos is a landlocked nation.
Director of Lao Airlines’ Commercial Department Saleum Tayarath mentions that the Taiwanese market was studied at length with plans to develop direct flights before the pandemic struck. He says the company doesn’t have the capacity to provide direct flights to Taiwan with their current fleet of Airbus A320s this year, but the company has their sights set on next year as a possibility.