By Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel Life Network, compiled and reported
As the Lunar New Year holiday nears, people have begun planning overseas trips to take advantage of the rare nine-day break. Domestic travel agencies say that around 30% of their packages for the Spring Festival and winter vacation have already been sold, with destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Hokkaido in Japan being the most popular, accounting for over 50% of sales. Travel to Thailand is also expected to see an increase compared to previous years.
After its completion, Tokyo Skytree has become the newest tourist attraction in the Tokyo area. (Photo provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
With the peak travel season approaching, various agencies are rolling out promotional deals to boost sales. Chan Hsing Travel, for instance, is offering limited-time member discounts from now until November 12. These include a Taiwan Compatriot Permit extension at half price for just NT$250, Hong Kong 3-day free-and-easy tours starting from NT$8,888 (tax included), and Japan’s Okinawa, Singapore 4-day free-and-easy, and Korea ski 5-day group tours all under NT$10,000. Tokyo and Kyushu itineraries in Japan are available for less than NT$20,000, and there's even a Benelux & France 8-day tour for just NT$39,900 (tax included). Thanks to the U.S. visa waiver effect, the overall U.S. travel market is expected to get a boost, with Chan Hsing Travel forecasting a 3–5x increase in Taiwanese travel to the U.S. They’ve also introduced a value-packed Western U.S. 8-day tour starting at NT$45,900 (tax included).
Hong Kong’s food and shopping draw numerous travelers from Taiwan every year. (Photo provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
In addition, for special New Year holiday packages, Japan—which ranks third in outbound travel popularity—offers a Hokkaido aurora-viewing icebreaker cruise 5-day trip starting from NT$50,900 (tax included), Korea ski + JUMP show 5-day and Thailand villa 5-day tours starting from NT$36,500 and NT$19,999 (both tax included), respectively, while Hong Kong 3-day free-and-easy tours including a view of the Lunar New Year’s Day 2nd-day fireworks are available from NT$15,999 (tax included).
● Read more: Peninsula Hotel offers winter promotion with room upgrades and complimentary breakfast
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