First Hong Kong tour groups leave for Taiwan after self-ruled island reopens to city under eased Covid rules
- Visitors must travel in groups of between five and 40 people under recognised travel agencies, and can stay for 15 days at most
- Among holidaymakers are also people eager to see family members
The first batch of Hongkongers heading to Taiwan under tour groups gathered at the city’s airport with some fanfare on Friday morning, with the self-ruled island finally reopening to travellers after more than two years of Covid-19 restrictions.
Around 20 passengers were seen at check-in counters at the airport at 10.30am, three hours before their flight. Representatives from two tour agencies and Taiwanese carrier EVA Air handed out freebies for passengers to commemorate the trip.
“We’re very excited to be back to Taiwan,” said Ramy Yu, who joined a Wing On tour group with her sister, Amanda. They had visited the island once and were looking for a quick getaway from Hong Kong.
Yu, who like her sister is travelling for the first time out of the city since the pandemic started, said she looked forward the most to dipping in the hot springs of Yilan county. The finance industry worker also welcomed news of reduced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for travellers arriving in Hong Kong.
“Since Covid cases are quite stable and most people have already caught the virus, reducing the number of tests makes it more convenient for us,” she said.
Taiwan reopened to travellers from Hong Kong and Macau on November 7, but Friday’s flight marked the first organised tour groups to the island. Visitors must travel in groups of between five and 40 people, and can stay in Taiwan for 15 days at most. They must register through travel agencies recognised by the Taiwan authorities.
For other passengers, this trip means more than just an enjoyable vacation away from Hong Kong.
