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Taiwan welcomes foreign tour groups as border fully reopens

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A participant wearing a mask reading " holds="" a="" Taiwanese="" flag="" during="" National="" Day="" celebrations="" outside="" the="" Presidential="" Palace="" in="" October="" also="" known="" as="" Double="" Ten="" is="" celebrated="" annually="" on="" October.="" EPA-EFE="" DANIEL="" CENG="" SHOU="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/10/13/taiwan.jpg"/><figcaption>A participant wearing a mask reading &#x27;Taipei&#x27; holds a Taiwanese flag during Taiwan&#x27;s National Day celebrations outside the Presidential Palace in Taipei, Taiwan, 10 October 2022. Taiwan&#x27;s National day, also known as Double Ten Day, is celebrated annually on 10 October.<em> EPA-EFE/DANIEL CENG SHOU YI</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Taoyuan - Taiwan welcomed its first batch of international tour groups after the island fully reopened its borders Thursday, ending strict quarantine rules in place since the coronavirus pandemic began.</p><p>A group of holidaymakers from Thailand arrived shortly after midnight and were greeted at Taoyuan airport with flower garlands and an exuberant dancing bear mascot.</p><p>Valaisurang Bhaedhayajibh, 53, said she was visiting Taiwan the first time in 20 years and was accompanied by her daughter Sisiree.</p><p>&quot;I heard about the lakes and all the nature, and also shopping. She&#x27;s on her school break so I am bringing her over here,&quot; she told AFP. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s very convenient. We didn&#x27;t have to do anything much, you know, in terms of preparation. But we got vaccinated and everything.&quot;</p><p>Pairry Kalong, another Thai tourist, said she planned to eat hot pot &quot;first thing&quot; as well as visit Ximending, Taipei&#x27;s neon-lit shopping district.</p><p>Tanachot Jaiungwattana said he was last in Taiwan shortly before the pandemic sealed the borders. </p><p>&quot;I miss here very much,&quot; he said. &quot;I love the people and food.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ONoWo9PsNXE?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Taiwan has won praise for how it handled the pandemic, although like nearby Japan and Hong Kong it has been very cautious in reopening.</p><p>As most countries vacillated on restricting travel at the start of the pandemic and saw deaths soar, Taiwan quickly shut its borders and stamped out the first wave. </p><p>It remained comparatively coronavirus-free at the expense of closed borders. Tourism industries suffered badly but the island&#x27;s export-driven economy continued to grow.</p><p>Like Hong Kong, which also fully reopened to tourists recently, Taiwan is among the last places in the world to end mandatory quarantine.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/09/22/22/taiwan-to-scrap-covid-quarantine-for-travelers">Taiwan to scrap COVID quarantine for travelers in October</a></li></ul><p>Mainland China is the last remaining major economy that is still keeping its borders sealed.</p><p>Under Taiwan&#x27;s current rules, three days of hotel quarantine have been replaced with seven days of &quot;self-monitoring&quot; where tourists are expected to keep an eye on their health and wear face masks indoors and outdoors.</p><p>The system will operate largely on trust, with tourists given coronavirus test kits on arrival to use throughout their stay.</p><p>That contrasts with Hong Kong where tourists must submit to regular tests for a week after their arrival and cannot enter bars and restaurants for the first three days. </p><div><strong>sc-aw/jta/dhc</strong></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

Taiwan welcomed its first batch of international tour groups after the island fully reopened its borders Thursday, ending strict quarantine rules.