Group Travel Together! TPE Airport, Taoyuan MRT, Kansai Airport, and Nankai Electric Railway Sign MOU

▲From left: Taoyuan Airport General Manager Hsiao Teng-ke, Taoyuan MRT Chairman Liu Kun-yi, Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan, Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau Chairman Mizuho Mizuno, Nankai Electric Railway President & CEO Tohoku Mitsuhiro, and Kansai Airport Representative Director & President & CEO Yamatani Yoshinobu.

Reported and photographed by Cai Wenjun / Taoyuan

To strengthen international exchanges, Taoyuan Airport, Taoyuan MRT, Japan’s Kansai Airport, and Nankai Electric Railway, under the witness of Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan and Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau Chairman Mizuho Mizuno, signed the “Memorandum of Cooperation for the Establishment of Friendly Relations among Four Organizations.” Through collaboration among the four parties, the goal is to enhance convenience for travelers between Taiwan and Japan, as well as increase awareness of scenic spots along both countries' railway lines. In the future, there is hope for offering mutual railway or ride discounts.

▲Taoyuan MRT Chairman Liu Kun-yi.

Taoyuan MRT Chairman Liu Kun-yi stated that the Taoyuan Airport MRT is the first in the nation to offer pre-flight check-in services at Taipei Main Station and is also the fourth in Asia where such services can be conducted outside the airport. Nankai Electric Railway, with a history of 100 years, possesses extensive experience in both railway operations and affiliated business development, making it an important partner for Taoyuan Airport MRT to learn from and collaborate with.

Through this collaboration, there are two key areas worth pursuing in terms of exchange. For example, how to attract international tourists through airports and MRT systems to boost local tourism economies—entities such as Kansai Airport, Nankai Electric Railway, and the Osaka City Tourism Bureau can offer many suggestions for reference. Additionally, Nankai Electric Railway operates from 4:50 AM to midnight, and it is hoped that, through this cooperation, valuable experience can be drawn from Nankai to explore advancing the operational hours of the Taoyuan Airport MRT in the future.

Nankai Electric Railway President Tohoku Mitsuhiro noted that Nankai Electric Railway not only manages railways but also operates buses, shopping malls, hotels, real estate development, and more. It is hoped that through the signing of this memorandum of cooperation, a more convenient and enjoyable travel experience can be provided for Taiwanese and Japanese travelers, and that the resources of the four organizations can be leveraged to develop tourism resources in both Taoyuan and Osaka.