The founding members of the Asia Convention Alliance (ACA) gathered recently for the second time, at IMEX America 2022, to discuss future programmes. ACA’s founding members are Thailand Convention Bureau (TCEB), Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), Seoul Tourism Organisation (STO), and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). Bilateral MOUs were signed between MyCEB and STO as well as STO and TAITRA.

The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday (Oct. 24) said that it will discontinue the quarantine requirement for contact with COVID cases. Previously, people who lived with a COVID case either had to undergo the “0+7” scheme if they had three COVID vaccine doses, or if not, they had to follow the “3+4” protocol. CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) said that effective Nov.7, all persons who live with COVID cases will follow the “0+7” formula of no quarantine and seven days of self-health moni

Taiwan on Thursday (Oct. 13) opened its borders to international travelers and ended its strict quarantine two and a half years since it imposed a ban on arrivals from all countries due to the pandemic. The country issued a Level 3 travel warning for all countries and regions on March 21, 2020. This meant a full ban on travel to Taiwan for most foreign travelers, with only citizens and residents allowed to enter under the condition they undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said that construction on Kaohsiung International Airport will begin in 2023 for an expansion project that was approved by the central government in 2021. The press release came on Tuesday (Oct. 11), just two days before Taiwan loosened border restrictions on travelers coming from abroad. After the expansion, Kaohsiung’s airport will be capable of receiving 16.5 million passengers annually, more than double the pre-pandemic number of 7.5 million i

Kaohsiung was a popular destination for locals and visitors alike, with the Taiwan Design Expo 2022 drawing over 470,000 attendees. Nearby, the public trial of the Kaohsiung Light Rail also drew over 40,000 commuters in a single day on Saturday (Oct. 8). The Taiwan Design Expo in Kaohsiung opened at the end of September and will run until Oct. 23. In addition to the 10 major exhibitions being held at the Taiwan Design Expo, there is also a popular market area, along with food stalls.

The Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail’s new section from the TRA Museum of Fine Arts Station to the Heart of Love River Station (C20-24) will be open on Wednesday (Oct. 5), and the whole circular route is on track to be completed by the end of next year, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said on Monday (Oct. 3).

Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is to give a keynote speech at a business forum in Kaohsiung today to share his insights on Taiwan’s economic development and role in the global economy.

The head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) stated that Taiwan’s mask mandate could be phased out as soon as November if the pandemic continues to subside. In an interview with Mirror Media published on Tuesday (Sept. 27), CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) said that the center is observing the way in which other countries phased out their mask regulations in determining how to end Taiwan’s mask rules. Wang pointed out that Singapore had first ended outdoor mask requirements before ending i

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced on Thursday (Sept. 22) that Japan will lift its daily limit on the number of entries on Oct. 11. Foreign tourists will be allowed to travel freely as it restarts its visa-free program, which will include Taiwan. On Sept. 7, Japan ended its requirement that arriving passengers provide negative results of PCR tests for those who had received three shots of an approved COVID vaccine. It also raised its daily arrival quota to 50,000 and allowed the entry of f

The health authorities will no longer monitor arriving travelers for COVID-19 after the end of mandatory quarantine planned for Oct. 13, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Friday (Sept. 23). People will need to learn how to live with the virus and take their own preventive measures without too much government involvement, according to CECC chief Victor Wang (王必勝). When needed, the cap on foreign arrivals, set at 150,000 per week for the period from Oct. 13, could be hiked further,