Rare and high-end overseas travel tours have become more sought-after than expected following Taiwan’s lifting of its COVID-19 pandemic border controls in October, a travel agency said Sunday.
After the government lifted a ban on inbound and outbound tour groups, some companies made phone calls inquiring about overseas travel plans for corporations, said Chen Yi-fu (???), chairman of Sunday Tours, at a news conference while announcing the company’s analysis of travel trends in the post-COVID-19 era.
To his surprise, bookings for rare and high-end travel tours have been surging faster than before the pandemic, Chen said.
For instance, 30 people have purchased a tour to the North Pole in 2023 priced at NT$1.28 million (US$41,730) per person, according to Chen, who added that his company originally expected to sell a South Pole tour package priced at NT$980,000 per person to about six customers but eventually sold it to 30 people.
Chen said that this might be because COVID-19 had changed people’s attitude toward travel as many travelers now did not want to wait anymore after more than two years of border controls due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, many travelers who were unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions over the past two years were also worried that another pandemic might occur or that if they become infected, they could undergo isolation again, so they want to cherish the present and plan trips to “must-visit” tourist attractions without waiting any longer, Chen added.
In addition, Sunday Tours found that with travel expenses being much higher now than before the epidemic, tourists tend to choose longer tour itineraries.
For example, the company offered only a 11-day Benelux trip itinerary before the epidemic. For 2023, 11-day and 13-day itineraries have been arranged, but the 11-day trip has been unpopular compared to the 13-day tour which has been fully booked. This shows tourists hope to have more time to experience local culture, history, scenery and food while traveling abroad, said Chen. Benelux refers to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
After the lifting of travel restrictions, most of the group tours arranged by Sunday Tours for 2023 were booked by relatives and friends, and the company’s quota for these tours was soon full, Chen noted.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel