Hualien County is to see the launch of its second international flight in November, with two weekly round-trip flights connecting the eastern county with Seoul/Incheon in South Korea, Hualien County Tourism Department Director Yu Ming-hsun (余明勲) said today.
The two weekly round-trip flights are to be operated by South Korean low-cost carrier Aero K Airlines Co from Nov. 13, Yu told reporters.
Photo: Wang Chin-yi, Taipei Times
The flights, scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays, were made possible after the county government and Aero K signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-May, Yu said.
Seoul/Incheon is to become the second international destination with direct service to Hualien, after Hong Kong Express Airways began four weekly scheduled round-trip services to the Chinese territory in December last year, Yu said.
Yu said Taiwan has seen visitors from South Korea surpass those from Japan, while people in Hualien are interested in visiting South Korea, as several tour operators have begun advertising tour packages on social media platforms in Taiwan.
To attract visitors to Hualien and neighboring Taitung County, the Tourism Administration has been subsidizing chartered flights from overseas, it said in a statement on Aug. 11.
The number of flights that met the requirements to receive subsidies has grown from four in 2023 to 16 last year and 43 during the first seven months of this year, the statement said.
The 43 flights brought in more than 5,600 foreign visitors from Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand, and were estimated to contribute NT$60 million (US$1.96 million) to the local economy in the two counties, the agency said.
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