With the COVID-19 under control within its borders, Taiwan has begun promoting domestic travel. In particular, it is looking to promote island-hopping cruises to its outlying islands.
On Wednesday, the transportation ministry held a forum with island-hopping cruises as the theme.
A new cruise ship, the Explorer Dream, has already docked in Keelung and will be taking travelers on 30 tours of Taiwan’s outlying islands. The tours start in Keelung and include visits to the Matsu, Kinmen, and Penghu islands.
Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung said this is only the beginning of island-hopping tourism in Taiwan. He has designated 2023 as the Year of Island-Hopping Travel. He wants to continue these island-hopping cruises into the future in the hopes that they will attract not only domestic tourists, but foreign visitors as well.
Upcoming cruises will let the guests feast on NT$150 million (US$5 million) worth of Taiwanese produce. Nearly 100 performing artists will also be onboard to entertain passengers.
Taiwan has yet to open its borders to foreign tourists. Would-be Taiwanese travelers are similarly stuck at home. But this situation has seen domestic tourism boom, as people explore all that Taiwan has to offer. The government has been helping the domestic tourism industry by providing hotel subsidies and special packages.