The government should prioritize the re-entry of Chinese business travelers to boost economic activity amid packed flights from China after Beijing reopened its borders on Sunday, the Travel Quality Assurance Association (TQAA) said yesterday.
Flights to China were nearly full, primarily with business travelers, as well as Chinese spouses and students, returning for the Lunar New Year holiday, after the country lifted international travel restrictions, TQAA spokesman Ringo Lee (李奇嶽) said.
Over the past three years, China has restricted flights from Taiwan to airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Xiamen to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, he said.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The number of cross-strait flights and Chinese airports that can accommodate Taiwanese flights should be increased as the current flight capacity would not meet rising demand, he said, adding that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic 4 million Taiwanese per year traveled to China.
“It is our hope that Chinese business travelers would be allowed to re-enter first, as it is important to resume economic and trade exchanges between China and Taiwan. The government should decide whether Chinese tourists should be allowed to visit after taking into account the pandemic situation there,” Lee said.
“We also hope that the ‘small three links’ connecting Kinmen and Lienchiang counties with China can resume normal operations, which would give Taiwanese businesspeople in China another way home,” he said.
Taiwanese returning from four Chinese airports and through the “small three links” must undergo saliva polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at their port of entry.
Travelers who test positive are asked to observe five days of home care and self-health management.
From Friday last week to Jan. 31, Taiwanese departing from China or entering via Hong Kong or Macau must obtain a PCR test report within 48 hours before boarding flights or undergo rapid antigen screening within 24 hours. Those leaving directly from Hong Kong and Macau are not subject to the testing.
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