The Ministry of Transportation and Communications on Thursday announced a new Taiwan-Japan ferry route in a bid to boost tourism amid concerns over a tepid recovery in the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The route linking Tainan’s Anping District (安平) and Japan’s Ishigaki Island is part of the ministry’s “blue highway” initiative to stimulate nautical tourism, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) told a news conference in Taipei.
Tainan-Ishigaki voyages are to sail three times a month starting in September, Chen said.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
The Yaima Maru — a 21,688 tonne Japanese ferry that can carry 545 passengers, 70 vehicles and 90 cargo containers — would be assigned to the route, he said.
The link is to draw more tourists from Japan to visit Taiwan by building on Ishigaki’s popularity among Japanese, he said.
Meanwhile, ferries between Tainan and Penghu County are scheduled once a week until September, he said, adding that trial routes are to sail between Keelung and Hualien County from Friday next week to July 28, between Chiayi, Penghu and Kinmen counties from Aug. 14 to 18, and between Keelung and Penghu from Aug. 25 to 27.
The lines serve a critical national security role as a maritime lifeline for eastern areas in Taiwan should rail and road networks be affected during an emergency, Chen said.
As an island nation, Taiwan should do more to encourage the development of maritime tourism, he added.
The Keelung-Hualien and Keelung-Penghu voyages would depart at night, with stargazing, sunrise views, and music and magic performances onboard, Maritime and Port Bureau Director-General Yeh Hsieh-lung (葉協隆) said.
The Chiayi-Penghu-Kinmen route is mainly designed for Taiwanese wishing to visit the nation’s outlying islands without the hassle of multiple flights, he said.
People wanting to take the ferry services can arrange their own travel at the destinations or join a tour group, Yeh said.
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