The Tourism Administration held an award ceremony on Thursday to announce the evaluation results for the tourism industry. The annual evaluation covered 70 routes from 22 cities, with 30 promoting entities and 38 transport operators participating this year.
The Tourism Administration’s Taiwan Trip or Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus initiative, has entered its 13th year of providing convenient transportation for domestic and international independent travelers. Tourism Administration Director Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) expressed optimism about surpassing 5 million passengers by the end of 2023, emphasizing the goal to increase the "Taiwan Trip" routes to a hundred. Acknowledging the pandemic's impact on ridership over the past three years, Chou highlighted a 46.2% increase in trips compared to the previous year, around 4.18 million passengers had taken the bus as of November.
Chou’s optimism is backed by an expansion plan that was accepted earlier this year as a post-pandemic boost. He urges passengers to utilize the plan's half-price discount with an electronic ticket, which will continue until August 31, 2025. Looking ahead, Chou aims to incorporate more scenic spots, museums, temples, and towns into Taiwan Trip’s routes to showcase Taiwan's friendly transportation system to global visitors exploring all corners of the island.