New Zealand and Australia might soon allow quarantine-free travel between the two countries, which could be extended to other nations with few COVID-19 cases, their leaders said during a meeting on Tuesday.
The “bubble travel” plan would boost their economies and public morale, the Guardian reported on Tuesday. The plan has garnered widespread support in the countries, and Michael Baker, a professor of public health at New Zealand’s University of Otago, said that they could include Taiwan and South Korea once they declare themselves free of the virus.
Taiwan should approach the Oceanic countries — with which it already works under the New Southbound Policy — to express interest in restarting exchanges. The proposal is an opportunity for Taiwan, which has fared better than most nations at stemming the spread of COVID-19.
Unlike China, Taiwan is not a top travel destination for travelers from Australia and New Zealand, Web sites Skyscanner and finder.com show. Taiwan’s tourism industry could seize the opportunity to promote itself as a safe and friendly alternative to China, offering many of the same experiences and much more. Visitors from the Oceanic countries could enjoy unique eating experiences, hot springs, shopping, unique architecture and stage performances all within a single city such as Taipei, or they could go off the beaten path to Taiwan’s outlying islands, to visit Aboriginal communities or to learn about the nation’s unique history.
If Taiwan could work out travel arrangements with Australia and New Zealand while much of the world is still under lockdown, it might give it the chance to introduce people from those countries to a place they might otherwise have missed out on.
Taiwanese are already quite familiar with Australia and New Zealand, with many young Taiwanese participating in working holidays there, and with numerous Taiwanese families emigrating to the two countries over the past several decades. The two countries offer great places for Taiwanese to study English, and many are anxious to travel abroad again — allowing them to start returning to Australia and New Zealand would be a boost to their economies.
Taiwan is also in a unique position to help make international travel safe again. The Industrial Technology Research Institute and the National Health Research Institute have separately developed COVID-19 rapid test kits, both of which could be mass produced by July. These kits — which can produce results in less than an hour — could help facilitate travel without the need for long quarantine periods. Local vaccine maker Adimmune on Wednesday also announced that it already has promising vaccine candidates.
The departure airport could administer tests quickly, and the results could be forwarded to the destination before the plane even arrives. This could be offered by Taiwan as an option even for flights between New Zealand and Australia. A flight from Auckland to Sydney takes nearly four hours — more than enough time with Taiwan’s rapid test kits to know whether a passenger on board the flight has tested positive for COVID-19.
Offering these test kits to Australia and New Zealand would further demonstrate Taiwan’s capacity to help, and would bolster relations with those nations. When vaccines are available, they could be offered first to them as a show of good will.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration on Wednesday announced that airlines are no longer allowed to charge fuel surcharges since fuel costs have dropped so low, but planes still are not flying, because there are no destinations for travelers, and this is unfortunate for Taiwanese who love to travel.
With the world’s economies in a slump, things must restart soon. Travel between Taiwan and Oceania is a good place to begin, and the government must explore this option.
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