Qualifying citizens and foreign residents can pass through e-Gates in just 10 seconds, the National Immigration Agency said today, encouraging people to use the automatic immigration clearance system, as travel is expected to surge during the upcoming nine-day Lunar New Year holiday. Citizens and foreign residents older than 10 and at least 120cm tall can use the new generation of e-Gates, which are intuitive and user-friendly, the agency said. Travelers who have not registered in advance can store their face or fingerprints in the system when using e-Gate, clearing immigration and registering simultaneously, the agency said. Taiwanese nationals do not need to reregister after getting a new passport, it added. Travelers should remove glasses or facial coverings when using e-Gate to speed up the process, the agency said. Families traveling with children who are not eligible can use family-friendly immigration counters, it said. The new generation of e-Gates are in use at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Taichung Airport, Kaohsiung International Airport and the Kinmen Shuitou Harbor Passenger Service Center, it added. Tourists visiting Taiwan can submit the Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) online through the agency’s official Web site within three days of arrival, it said. The system sends a confirmation receipt to the traveler’s e-mail and retrieves the information automatically when their passport is scanned upon arrival, so there is no need to present the receipt, it said. The TWAC is completely free and travelers should make sure to only fill it out on the agency’s official Web site to avoid fraud, it added.
Qualifying citizens and foreign residents can pass through e-Gates in just 10 seconds, the National Immigration Agency said today, encouraging people to use the automatic immigration clearance system, as travel is expected to surge during the upcoming nine-day Lunar New Year holiday. Citizens and foreign residents older than 10 and at least 120cm tall can use the new generation of e-Gates, which are intuitive and user-friendly, the agency said. Travelers who have not registered in advance can store their face or fingerprints in the system when using e-Gate, clearing immigration and registering simultaneously, the agency said. Taiwanese nationals do not need to reregister after getting a new passport, it added. Travelers should remove glasses or facial coverings when using e-Gate to speed up the process, the agency said. Families traveling with children who are not eligible can use family-friendly immigration counters, it said. The new generation of e-Gates are in use at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Taichung Airport, Kaohsiung International Airport and the Kinmen Shuitou Harbor Passenger Service Center, it added. Tourists visiting Taiwan can submit the Taiwan Arrival Card (TWAC) online through the agency’s official Web site within three days of arrival, it said. The system sends a confirmation receipt to the traveler’s e-mail and retrieves the information automatically when their passport is scanned upon arrival, so there is no need to present the receipt, it said. The TWAC is completely free and travelers should make sure to only fill it out on the agency’s official Web site to avoid fraud, it added.
The number of outbound travelers from Taiwan smashed previous records last year, rising more than 12 percent year on year, while the number of foreign arrivals rose 9 percent, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The number of Taiwanese traveling overseas hit 18.94 million last year, up 12.43 percent from a year earlier, with Japan, China, and Hong Kong and Macau the three top destinations, data compiled by the agency showed. Foreign arrivals totaled 8.57 million last year, up about 9 percent from a year earlier, while Japan was the largest source of tourist visiting Taiwan followed by Hong Kong/Macau and South Korea, the data showed. The difference between inbound and outbound tourists last year was about 10.4 million, the agency said. The gap reflected several factors such as a foreign-exchange rate in favor of foreign destinations, an increase in flight numbers in the post COVID-19 era and moves by foreign countries to ease visa rules to attract Taiwanese travelers, it said. The annual number of outbound travelers has exceeded the number of foreign arrivals since 1990, a trend that benefits Taiwan-registered carriers, travel agencies and insurance firms, the agency said. With each foreign traveler spending US$1,276 on average during their stay in Taiwan and each Taiwanese traveler spending NT$55,541 (US$1,763) on average overseas in 2024, the agency estimated that Taiwan had a deficit of NT$700.98 billion in tourism value last year. The agency said that it is gearing up to push for a campaign encouraging foreign tourists through incentives to "visit Taiwan one more time" and attract more visitors to come to trade exhibitions and attend concerts held by famous foreign artists in Taiwan. In 2024, Taiwan’s international tourism income totaled US$10.03 billion, the agency said, citing UN statistics. In the first nine months of last year, Taiwan’s international tourism income, excluding cross-border airfares, is estimated to have totaled
Taiwanese travelers are favoring shorter, more frequent trips that emphasize personally meaningful experiences, the Sunday Tours travel agency said yesterday. People in Taiwan traveled abroad 17,380,239 times from January to November last year, Tourism Administration data showed. That number is expected to exceed 19 million for all of last year, surpassing 2019 levels and averages before the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunday Tours chairman Chen Yi-fu (陳依福) said. Total travel spending for last year is expected to surpass NT$1 trillion (US$31.6 billion), Chen said. The number of trips abroad would continue to grow, as shorter, more frequent trips become more common, averaging about two-and-a-half trips per person annually, he said. Sunday Tours has already reached 70 percent of its sales goal for this year, with short trips being particularly popular, Chen said. Trips that offer deeper personal meaning, such as pilgrimages, are also becoming a popular choice, he said, adding that pilgrimage trips for this year are already almost sold out. Since the pandemic, travelers have placed greater emphasis on reputation, paying more attention to awards such as the International Golden Travel Award, Chen said. Greater awareness of life’s uncertainty has driven travelers toward once-in-a-lifetime destinations, such as the polar regions and Machu Picchu, as well as sports and wellness-themed trips, he added. While only about 8 percent of trips last year were to Europe, they accounted for more than 20 percent of travel spending, making it the most valuable market segment, Chen said. Japan continues to be a popular travel destination among Taiwanese tourists, he added. Prices for group tours to Japan are expected to drop by about 5 percent in the first half of this year due to a more favorable exchange rate and competition among travel agencies, Sunday Tours general manager Huang Ching-liang (黃清涼) said.
Lion Travel Co yesterday released the top group tour search destinations for last year, with New Zealand and Australia rising to the top, Japan’s Shikoku region and China dropping to second, and Malaysia and Singapore dropping to third. Japan remains the top destination for groups and individuals alike, but data indicate that Taiwanese tourists' travel habits are shifting toward longer, slower-paced trips focused on deepening their experiences of local culture, the travel agency said in a news release. This trend is evident in Taiwanese travelers’ itineraries to Japan, where they are more inclined to experience local cultures in regional tourist hotspots than focus on metropolises such as Tokyo and Osaka, it said. Factors catapulting New Zealand and Australia to the top of the group tour search destinations for last year, increasing by 2.5 times, include increased flights to the area, shorter overall flight time of eight to nine hours and the natural scenery, which is in line with ideals of sustainable travel, it added. Outside the top three were Turkey in fourth, the northeastern region of Japan in fifth, the Kyushu region of Japan in sixth, Italy in seventh, Europe in general in eighth, Hokkaido in ninth and Okinawa in 10th, the travel agency said.
Starlux Airlines today relaunched its daily round-trip Taipei-Manila service. Flight JX785 departed from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 8:20am, while the return flight JX786 left Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 11:50am, the carrier said in a news release. With Taiwan and the Philippines granting each other visa-free stays of up to 14 days, and with flight times of less than two hours, the Taipei-Manila route would greatly enhance convenience and interaction for travelers, Starlux said. The airline also said that more than 160,000 Filipinos are currently working in Taiwan. Starlux's Taipei-Manila flights were initially launched in 2021, but suspended last year due to weak ticket sales. With the relaunch, Starlux said it now operates 23 flights to the Philippines per week. The carrier also flies to Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Clark International Airport.
The Alishan Forest Railway has been featured in international travel publisher Lonely Planet's Epic Train Trips of the World, making it Taiwan's only entry in the 200-route global guide. The book, released in September, highlights 13 rail routes in Asia and devotes a four-page chapter to the century-old mountain line, which climbs steeply across switchbacks from Chiayi to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, passing through tea plantations, woodland and into the clouds. In a news release today, the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said that the listing follows the full reopening of the main line last year, after years of reconstruction and repair work. Office Deputy Director Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said Lonely Planet's recognition helps spotlight the route's historical value and cultural significance.
New Zealand today announced that Taiwanese e-passport holders may now use the automatic e-Gate when entering or leaving the country, becoming the eighth country to permit Taiwanese to use their automatic immigration clearance system. Currently, South Korea, Australia, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia and the US also grant Taiwanese e-passport holders e-Gate privileges, although qualifying travelers must first pay an application fee for the US e-Gate. Taiwanese e-passport holders traveling to New Zealand who fill out the New Zealand Traveller Declaration online form within 24 hours before their flight can directly use the e-Gate at their destination, the Ministry of the Interior said. Based on principles of equality and reciprocity, Taiwan would also allow New Zealand e-passport holders to use e-Gates when entering or leaving Taiwan, the ministry said. These reciprocal measures would be implemented at the end of next month or in December, it said. Taiwan and New Zealand share mutual values of democracy, liberty, human rights and the rule of law, with about 60,000 people traveling between the two countries each year, the ministry said. Reciprocally allowing travelers to use e-Gates would make travel between the two countries more convenient, fostering closer collaboration and exchanges, the ministry said. The ministry would continue to promote reciprocal e-Gate policies with other countries, making travel more convenient for Taiwanese passport holders and attracting more tourists to come to Taiwan, it added.
Kenting National Park was ranked fifth among the “top eight destinations in Asia with a population under 50,000,” an Agoda survey found last week. The survey was based on search volumes from Feb. 15 to Aug. 15 across eight countries: Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, India and South Korea. The seaside destination in southern Pingtung County— famous for its beautiful sunsets, clean white beaches, coastal walks and lush forests — ranked fifth in the line-up, showing Taiwan’s rising popularity among international tourists. Ranked first was the tea plantation-spotted hills of the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, followed by Khao Yai Island in Thailand and mountainous Puncak in Java, Indonesia. Other destinations included Fujikawaguchiko in Japan, Sapa in Vietnam, Munnar in India and Pyeongchang in South Korea.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) today said it is to begin selling tickets at midnight tonight for an 18-day period spanning Teacher's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. In a news release, THSRC said that the upcoming stretch from Sept. 26 to Oct. 13 is to be its longest-ever holiday transport period. The company said its ticketing system has been upgraded to handle as many as 38,000 people booking at the same time. This capacity is about 1.7 times higher than during the Lunar New Year sales period earlier this year, when the system accommodated 22,000 users simultaneously, it said. Travelers can purchase tickets for the full 18-day period through a Web site booking system, THSRC's T Express Mobile App and convenience stores, as well as station counters and ticket machines, THSRC said.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters today announced guidelines for hikers seeking to do one-day climbs in Hsuehshan (雪山) to avoid becoming stranded or requiring rescue resources. A one-day round trip for Hsuehshan takes about 14 hours, covers 22km and has an elevation difference of 3,500m, the agency said, adding that it can be complicated by weather conditions or illness. Hikers who do not reach Sanlioujiou Cabin (三六九山莊) by 11am are recommended to not continue their climb, return to the trailhead and avoid moving in the dark, it said. This is not only for their own safety, but also to reduce the use of rescue resources, it said. There are eight main climbing routes throughout the park, of which the main Hsuehshan route is the most popular. Statistics from the headquarters show that 31,547 people have been approved to climb Hsuehshan in the past three years, with 3,000 one-day trips each year. The climb requires physical fitness, the headquarters said, adding that the rapid ascent in altitude can also cause altitude sickness. The afternoon can also bring thick fog or heavy rain, which makes following the path more difficult, it said. Steep ascents and descents in a short period of time also use a lot of energy, leading to slower responses to emergency situations, and any delays could result in needing to descend after sunset, the headquarters said. Management at Sanlioujiou and Cika (七卡山莊) cabins would be asked to remind hikers of the dangers associated with one-day climbs, it said. Those who attempt one-day hikes must cooperate with inspections and listen to instructions or guidance from cabin management, the headquarters said. Those who ignore guidance and go on to cause incidents on the mountain that affect the safety of the park or waste rescue resources would be punished according to the National Park Law (國家公園法) and local authorities would be asked to
Tigerair Taiwan is to launch three new international routes, two to South Korea's Jeju Island and one to Japan's Ishigaki Island, starting late this month as summer vacation nears. The Kaohsiung-Jeju route is to begin on June 30, followed by Taichung-Jeju on July 1 and Taoyuan-Ishigaki on July 17, the Taiwan-based low-cost carrier said in a statement today. With the additions, Tigerair Taiwan is to become the first domestic carrier to offer direct flights to Jeju from northern, central and southern Taiwan. The Ishigaki route is to also bring the number of Japanese destinations served by the airline to 23, the statement said. The Kaohsiung-Jeju and Taoyuan-Ishigaki routes are new, while the Taichung-Jeju route has been operated in the past, the airline said. Tigerair plans to operate four weekly flights on the Kaohsiung-Jeju route, and two per week on each of the other two routes, with adjustments possible based on demand. Base fares for the Jeju routes start at NT$500, while those for the Taoyuan-Ishigaki route would start at NT$1,599 during a promotion on Wednesday and Thursday, the airline said.
EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) has announced a codeshare agreement with fellow Star Alliance member LOT Polish Airlines, with the deal to take effect on Monday. The agreement includes EVA’s flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Tokyo’s Narita Airport and Taoyuan-Vienna, as well as a Warsaw-Vienna route operated by LOT, EVA Air’s first expansion to Warsaw. Since joining the Star Alliance in 2013, EVA has been committed to deepening cooperation with other alliance members and the codeshare agreement with LOT is a major step in that process, EVA executive vice president Liao Chi-wei (廖至維) said in a statement. The agreement not only makes travel between Taiwan and Poland easier, it also promotes bilateral tourism, trade and friendly relations between both countries, Liao said. Although there have been no direct flights between the two countries since an air traffic agreement was inked in 2015, Taiwan has grown closer to European countries and sought opportunities to cooperate, the statement said. The deal lays a key milestone for EVA to continue building its eastern European network, it said, adding that, hopefully, more connections between Warsaw and Taoyuan would be added. There are daily flights between Taoyuan airport and Vienna, with seamless transfers in Vienna to LOT’s daily Warsaw flights, it said. People in Poland would be able to take flights from Warsaw to Vienna and transfer for EVA flights to reach Taipei or Tokyo, it added. As Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain continues to expand internationally, central and eastern Europe is becoming an area of focus, it said. The codeshare agreement would allow for greater ties between Taiwan and the region, help develop more European routes, and enhance EVA’s competitiveness and visibility in Europe, it said.
The government is to promote good tourism infrastructure in a push to attract visitors, in addition to expanding the labor pool with foreign workers, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said today. The only way to attract international visitors is to invest in good transportation infrastructure, Cho said at the Taipei Tourism Expo, which runs from today to Monday at the Taipei World Trade Center. This year's expo has a record-high 350 participating companies, nearly 40 percent more than last year, organizers said. Taiwan's national development has been negatively impacted by US tariff and trade policy, making it even more important to invest in attracting visitors, as the “movement of people remains tariff-free,” Cho said. As part of this strategy, the government next year plans to expand domestic demand in addition to attracting international tourists, he said. This includes investing in good tourism infrastructure, as it is the best way to entice international visitors, Cho added. To bring international tourists to Taiwan, the government would provide subsidies to lower travel barriers, such as language training, to ensure the nation has a positive image abroad and balance the number of outgoing travelers with incoming ones, Cho said. The government would also combine large events such as international exhibitions, sporting events and concerts into tourism packages, he said. Regarding labor, the government plans to introduce new policies that still prioritize local workers, but also introduce migrant workers to meet demand, Cho said. Customs and immigration procedures would also be optimized, he added. The expo is Taiwan's largest travel fair in the first half of the year, and is estimated to attract 300,000 people. It features more than 20 central and local government agencies in addition to travel agencies, airlines, hotels and overseas tourism operators.
A section of railway blocked by a landslide in Hualien County reopened to two-way traffic along the eastern track this morning, with both tracks expected to reopen by Saturday, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) said. Heavy rains on Sunday and yesterday triggered landslides that left debris on the Chongde-Renhe section of the eastern rail line and damaged electrical equipment. Rail traffic in both directions was halted on Monday, with the state-run company offering shuttle services bypassing the affected area. Thanks to the hard work of 40 repairers, the eastern track was cleared by 4:20am today and reopened to two-way traffic at 5:36am, the TRC said in a news release. The first train, local No. 4117, departed from Chongde Station at 5:43am, it said. Workers were still clearing debris from the western track, and were expected to finish by later today, it said. The entire western track is expected to be repaired by Saturday at the earliest, it added. Additional reporting by CNA
The Chongde-Renhe section of Taiwan Railway's line along eastern Taiwan was closed to traffic in both directions yesterday, after landslides caused by heavy rain in Hualien County swept soil over the tracks. Taiwan Railway Corp said it has dispatched workers and vehicles to the site and repair work began at 7pm yesterday. Train schedules would continue to be adjusted until 6pm today, the state-run company said. Southbound reserved-seat trains originating in the greater Taipei area were operating only as far as Su'aoxin Station in Yilan County, while local trains were running to Heping Station in Hualien County, it said. All northbound trains were terminating at Hualien Station, it said. Shuttle bus services between Hualien and Heping began at 7:30pm yesterday to help people get to destinations between those two areas, and the number of shuttle buses would be adjusted flexibly based on real-time weather information, the company said.
Single-track service along the Chongde-Renhe section of Taiwan Railway’s line along eastern Taiwan is expected to resume on Wednesday, and dual-track service on Saturday after landslides caused by heavy rain damaged the tracks. Flooding inside the tunnel is more severe than expected, Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) told a news conference this afternoon. It would take about four days to fully repair the damage, TRC deputy general manager Chen Tsung-hung (陳宗宏) said. The TRC’s early warning system was effective, promptly notifying trains along the route to stop via the operations control center, Chen said. Shuttle bus services from Xincheng to Heping began at 5:32am this morning and as of 2pm had made a total of 17 trips transporting 8,360 passengers, he said. Shuttle bus services from Hualien to Heping are to run from 8pm to midnight tonight, with the frequency to be adjusted based on the weather, he added. In a later news release, the TRC said that about 200m of track were damaged and 60 sleepers were broken, with about 3,000m³ of debris covering the tracks. In addition, about 300m of the electric traction system’s wires were damaged, and one electric power pole was toppled over, it said. About 300m of signaling and communication cables and main power cables were damaged, and one set of radio repeaters was destroyed, it added.
Tigerair Taiwan today announced it would launch a new route in July between Kaohsiung and Sendai, Japan. The service would initially operate three times a week, with flight IT-772 departing from Kaohsiung International Airport every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 1:25pm, the China Airlines subsidiary said in a news release. The return flight, IT-773, would depart from Sendai on the same days at 7pm, said the airline, Taiwan's only budget carrier. Tickets for flights on the new route would go on sale tomorrow at discounted rates on the Tigerair Taiwan Web site, it said. The new service would be the airline's 11th international route departing from Kaohsiung, after Sapporo, Tokyo’s Narita Airport, Nagoya, Osaka, Okayama and Okinawa in Japan; Seoul’s Gimpo Airport; Macau; and Da Nang, Vietnam. Japan is the most popular destination of Taiwanese travelers, tourism data showed. Last year, about 6 million Taiwanese travelers visited Japan, making it the top foreign destination, followed by 2.77 million to China and 1.43 million to South Korea, Tourism Administration data showed.
United Airlines today launched its new Taipei (Taoyuan)-Guam route, offering twice-weekly flights, while Tigerair Taiwan inaugurated its Taipei (Taoyuan)-Oita service also flying twice a week. United Airlines operates the new route using a Boeing 737-800 with 166 seats. Departures from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are scheduled for 10:30am on Wednesdays and 11am on Saturdays, while return flights from Guam leave at 7am on both days. To mark the inaugural flight, representatives from the Guam Visitors Bureau and United Airlines visited Taiwan today. At the Taoyuan airport, they emphasized their joint efforts to promote Guam as a travel destination. Kenichi Kiriyama, United Airlines' director of sales for Japan, Micronesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, highlighted the airline's long-standing presence in Taiwan since 1986. Since 2014, the US carrier has transported 2 million passengers between Taoyuan and San Francisco, he said, adding that in addition to the Taipei-Guam route, the airline plans to launch flights from Kaohsiung to Tokyo on July 12. Meanwhile, Tigerair Taiwan's new Taipei-Oita route makes Oita its 21st destination in Japan and its fourth direct flight to Kyushu, following Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki. The Taipei-Oita service operates twice weekly, with outbound flights departing at 12pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and return flights from Oita leaving at 4:30pm the same days, the low-cost airline said.
Heavy traffic is expected on various sections of Taiwan's provincial highways during the four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday that starts on Thursday and ends on Sunday, the Highway Bureau said today. Motorists are advised to stay informed of traffic conditions beforehand, avoid peak hours and congested roads, the bureau said in a news release. Congestion is expected on Provincial Highway No. 9 between Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County and Hualien City during different time periods, most notably on southbound lanes from 3am to 5pm on Thursday, and from 8am to 10am on Friday, it said. Traffic on the highway's northbound lanes is forecast to pick up from 2pm to 7pm on Saturday, and from 1pm to 4pm on Sunday, the bureau added. Motorists traveling between Taitung and Pingtung counties can also expect to see congestion on the No. 9 highway's northbound and southbound lanes during various hours from Thursday to Saturday. In Pingtung County, the bureau anticipates heavy traffic on a section of Provincial Highway No. 1 between Shuidiliao (水底寮) in Fangliao Township (枋寮) and Fenggang (楓港) in Fangshan Township (枋山) during the first three days of the holiday. Meanwhile, congestion is forecast to occur at different hours along various sections of Provincial Highway No. 61, also known as the West Coast Expressway, which runs from New Taipei City to Tainan. Citing an example, the bureau said heavy traffic is expected on sections near Miaoli County and Taichung due to reconstruction work being carried out on two road bridges. In the news release, the bureau also listed other roads that could see potential traffic during the holiday, including Provincial Highways No. 64 and No. 65, both in New Taipei City. Furthermore, motorists are advised to be aware of congestion on roads leading to various scenic destinations, such as the section between Fulong (福隆) and Wanli (萬里) in New Taipei
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