Taiwanese tourists remain interested in visiting Northeast Asia, despite escalating tensions in the region following the latest nuclear test by North Korea on Sunday, travel agents said on Wednesday.
“No negative effects have been reported at all on travel to Japan and South Korea,” said Sindy Lin (林怡君), an analyst for Northeast Asian tourism at the Travel Quality Assurance Association.
Taiwanese tourists seem to be used to threats from North Korea and tend to ignore them when making travel decisions, Lin said.
Photo courtesy of Lion Travel
In fact, thanks to more flight options, the number of travelers to Japan is expected to rise in the coming few months compared with the same period last year, she said.
“Almost 70 percent of group tours are sold out,” Lin said, attributing the momentum to new charter services by Tigerair Taiwan and Far Eastern Air Transport.
The two carriers offer itineraries to less accessible tourist areas, such as Hanamaki and Tottori, which has attracted a lot of interest from Taiwanese, she said.
In addition, with the launch of two new routes from Taiwan to Sendai and Sapporo later this month by Japanese budget airline Peach Aviation, independent travelers will have even more options, Lin said.
Interest in traveling to South Korea is at about the same level as last year and is likely to peak in December when it snows, she said.
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