Taiwan welcomes its first tourists since COVID-19

(Taoyuan) With garlands of flowers, Taiwan welcomed its first group of international tourists since the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, after the total reopening of its borders, AFP journalists noted.

Like Hong Kong, which only recently fully reopened to tourists, Taiwan is among the last places in the world to end mandatory quarantine.

Neighboring mainland China is the last major economy to keep its borders closed.

Upon arrival at Taoyuan Airport, a group of vacationers from Thailand were greeted with flowers and a huge bear-shaped mascot.

Valaisurang Bhaedhayajibh returns to Taiwan for the first time in 20 years, with her daughter Sisiree during school holidays.

“It’s very easy, we didn’t have to do anything to prepare ourselves” apart from “being vaccinated”, assures the 50-year-old, enthusiastic about the idea of ​​going to see “the lakes and all of nature” and ” shopping”.

Pairry Kalong, a compatriot, planned to eat a traditional Taiwanese soup “above all”, and to visit the neon-lit shopping center of Ximending in Taipei.

Taiwan “I missed”, also sighs Tanachot Jaiungwattana, who had come to the territory just before the borders were closed. “I love people and food,” he exclaims.

Taiwan has been hailed for its handling of the pandemic, closing its doors very quickly to eradicate the first wave. Relatively spared from infections, the territory has however been very careful to reopen its borders, like Japan and Hong Kong, with repercussions on the tourism industry. Its export-based economy, however, continued to grow.

In practice, the three-day quarantine has been replaced by a week of “self-monitoring” during which tourists are supposed to simply check their state of health with self-testing kits given out on arrival, and wear a mask to inside as well as outside.

Taiwan’s system, which is based on mutual trust, contrasts with that of Hong Kong, where newcomers are strictly prohibited from entering a restaurant or bar for three days, and are required to report the results. of their screening tests for a week.