More countries and territories are interested in forming “travel bubbles” with Taiwan, the Tourism Bureau said yesterday.
Earlier this year, then-minister of transportation and communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee that, in addition to Palau, the nation was negotiating “travel bubble” agreements with the governments of Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore.
Yesterday, bureau Director-General Chang Hsi-chung (張錫聰) told reporters on the sidelines of a committee meeting that more nations are seeking to ink “travel bubble” agreements with Taiwan.
Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei Times
Some of them have submitted proposals through diplomatic channels, while others have consulted the bureau, he said.
The bureau said that this week, its officials met with representatives of France, Guam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, the Philippines, Spain and Thailand, as well as the Africa Taiwan Economic Forum and Hachinohe in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture.
Guam, Hawaii, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam have been enthusiastic about establishing a travel corridor with Taiwan, Chang said.
“However, they know that the key is to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, and a ‘travel bubble’ agreement has a greater chance of succeeding when both sides have assessed the risks and trust one another,” he added.
Asked about the low number of people interested in traveling to Palau, Chang said that the tours are still in the initial stage.
“We have long weekends at the end of this month and next month. More people are likely to book tours over the summer,” he said.
Foreigners with Alien Resident Certificates or Alien Permanent Resident Certificates can also book the Palau tours, the bureau said.
Regarding a “travel bubble” agreement with Singapore, Singapore Airlines general manager in Taiwan Chua Kian-hwa (蔡建華) told reporters that the airline is waiting for further instructions from the Singaporean and Taiwanese governments.
Tourists to Singapore are not required to quarantine if they test negative upon arrival, he said, adding that tourists receive the test results within a day.
Starting this month, the airline would resume three flights per week between Taipei and Singapore, he said.
“Together with the daily Scoot flights, there will be 10 flights per week between the two countries,” Chua added.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source