More than 300 Taiwanese tourists are scheduled to return home after the Central Epidemic Command Center on Monday issued a level 3 “warning” travel notice for South Korea due to a rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.
A level 3 travel notice cautions travelers against nonessential travel to a country.
As of 5pm on Tuesday, 304 Taiwanese were traveling in South Korea, the Tourism Bureau said.
More than a dozen local agencies are to return the Taiwanese from South Korea by midnight tomorrow, when they would be placed under a mandatory 14-day home quarantine, the bureau said.
Travel agencies must inform the travelers that they must comply with the disease-prevention measures after their return, the bureau said.
In the related news, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications is proposing a series of measures to bolster the airline and tourism industries, which have sustained huge financial losses as countries around the world have imposed travel restrictions to contain COVID-19.
Under the proposals, the government would provide Taiwanese airlines about NT$4.85 billion (US$159.63 million) in subsidies.
Estimates say airlines could see a 25 percent decline in passengers this year due to the virus.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is negotiating with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to allow the public to use government-issued coupons to buy airline tickets and items in airports.
The Executive Yuan earlier this month said that the coupons would be redeemable at night markets and shopping districts.
The subsidy program for airlines, which would partially cover landing fees, maintenance and hangar usage fees, and other fees would be valid for one year, the ministry said.
Domestic operators of airplanes and helicopters can postpone payment of terminal usage charges, noise pollution compensation charges, land use fees and other fees for four months.
Airlines in need of emergency funding would be covered by the MOEA’s subsidy program, which would also subsidize interest on secured bank loans, the ministry said, adding that it has requested collateral of up to NT$20 billion.
Issues related to airlines’ freedom to fly during the virus crisis are to be handled with greater flexibility, the ministry added.
The Tourism Bureau has also proposed solutions to help the travel industry weather the virus crisis.
Travel agencies, hoteliers and tourism facility operators are allowed to seek assistance — from emergency relief funds to tax burden reductions — from the bureau.
An announcement about the regulations applying to the assistance would soon be made public, it said.
The bureau added that it would continue to providing travel subsidies to boost domestic tourism.
“Travel agencies and local government officials will be encouraged to work together and come up with innovative tours to attract international travelers, and we will offer incentives for them to do so,” the bureau said, adding that it would improve the facilities at travel destinations.
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