LOOKING FOR MORE: Last year, travel agencies only had to contend with losses from fewer foreign travelers, but this year domestic tours have also been suspended, it saidBy Cheng Wei-chi and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer
Tourism market takes heavy hit amid COVID-19 surge
05/12/2021 06:04 PM
Passengers wait for ferry in the outlying islands of Matsu in April. CNA file photo
Taipei, May 12 (CNA) The escalating COVID-19 numbers in Taiwan this week has caught the local tourism sector off-guard, with some reporting financial losses and expressing pessimism toward the future market outlook on Wednesday.
Since the government tightened disease control measures the previous day following multiple domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases of unknown origin, many tourism operators have been forced to cancel tours, according to Travel Quality Assurance Association spokesman Ringo Lee (李奇嶽).
Lee said his own company has suffered a loss of NT$7.5 million (US$269,000) from cancellations of graduation tours, as the government has instructed schools to suspend off-campus events.