`Fly Taiwan Fly' fair spreads its wings

A woman dressed in Tibetan dress talks to visitors at the ''Fly Taiwan Fly'' promotion in front of Taipei City Hall yesterday, held to stimulate the SARS-battered tourism industry. The fair showcased promotions by travel agencies and airlines and attracted over 20,000 participants. PHOTO: LO PEI-TEH, TAIPEI TIMES

Nearly 20,000 people converged on the plaza in front of Taipei City Hall yesterday to get their hands on cheap air fares as part of the "Fly Taiwan Fly" effort to stimulate the SARS-battered tourism industry.

"We are glad to see many people are still interested in traveling and have come to the fair to support us," Sun Huang-hsiang (孫洪祥), president of TransAsia Airways (復興航空) and organizer of the travel fair said yesterday.

A total of 50 travel agencies, hotels and airline representatives yesterday set up some 80 booths at the plaza to promote their latest discounts packages to a variety of international destinations.

Many of the bargain prices continue even though the fair is over.

A five-day trip to Indonesia's Bali, for instance, is going for NT$15,900 per person for departures by the end of July.

Northwest Airlines is offering a round trip ticket to San Francisco via Tokyo for NT$14,000 from July 11 to August 31.

British Asia Airways tempted customers yesterday with a round-trip ticket from Taipei to Europe via Hong Kong this summer for NT$26,500, down NT$5,000 from the same period last year.

The nation's tourism authorities and businesses kicked of a serial of promotions last week after the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted its warning against non-essential travel to Taiwan on June 17.

Industry professionals said the promotions are working.

"Our current flight occupancy rate has rebounded to 80 percent and the booking rate for next month is nearly 70 percent," Nieh Kuo-wei (聶國偉) spokesman of EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) told the Taipei Times yesterday.

Last month, when the number of SARS infections was on the rise, the company's average occupancy rate plummeted to about 30 percent.

China Airlines Co (華航), also reported its occupancy rate has rebounded to nearly 80 percent.

"However, passenger load rates on flights to Japan and Hong Kong are still below 50 percent," said Andy Sun (孫增城), a marketing director at China Airlines.

He added that by year-end even though China Airlines' occupancy rate is expected to rebound to 80 percent, the company's revenue will be undermined by the big discounts.

"Bargains help us to lure passengers back, while the help to the bottomline was limited," Sun said.

China Airlines had offered discounts of up to 82 percent off regular fares to passengers who flew before June 20.

A joint force of airlines also auctioned 200 international tickets at yesterday's event.

The auction generated nearly NT$2 million yesterday that will be donated to non-profit organization the United Way Taiwan.

Bid winners were glad to get bargains on airline tickets.

"Compared to regular prices, I saved nearly NT$10,000," said Huang Shou-yuan (黃壽元), 48, a father of three and winner of two round-trip tickets to Japan, priced at NT$11,000.

Other fair attendants also expressed an interest in cheap fares.

"After staying at home for nearly three months to avoid SARS, we are most interested in having a family trip in summer," said Lisa Lin (林立驊), a 35-year-old mother of two.

She added that her family originally planned to take a domestic trip, but "since prices for outbound groups are so cheap now, we are considering going to Japan instead."