Due to COVID-19, Taiwan's current ban on international group travels will last till the end of May, while the ban on incoming transfer flights and direct cross-strait flights have been extended indefinitely. Tourism professionals are concerned that there's no end in sight to the ongoing pandemic and are looking for other opportunities in order to survive.


Mr. Lai has put on an apron and is getting ready to cook. He was a manager in the marketing department of Lion Travel. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the agency's umbrella company dispatched many workers to the central kitchen to help with the food delivery business. Mr. Lai applied for the opportunity since he has experience working in the food industry.

I'll still deal with customers on the front desk, so I think I can still be pretty efficient with it.

The Lion group has shifted its focus from tourism to providing bento boxes to its employees. After the initial stress test, the company plans to expand its central kitchen and explore the food delivery sector. The group's many restaurants have also launched delivery services. The total income of the tourism industry has gone from NT$2 to NT$3 billion per month in the past to close to zero, and the company has to adapt to the change quickly.

The first step is to sell bento boxes to our employees as a way to stress test our system. We have issued NT$600 vouchers to our employees per month.

Many five-star hotels have also launched their own food delivery services. Le Meridian Taipei has launched their own lunch boxes to target the working professionals. The hotel said the food delivery service has helped boost their income. According to an analysis by the Travel Quality Assurance Association, the government's subsidy package can help sustain the tourism sector till the end of June. However, if the pandemic continues, there's a chance that more travel agencies will close their doors in the second half of the year.

The government's relief package came in several waves, and I think it did help out some in the tourism sector. However, if the pandemic continues through the month of September or worse, to the end of the year, I'm afraid many won't be able to sustain their businesses.

The association said that other than providing training for their employees, many companies are exploring other streams of revenue, such as by selling products online. There is no end in sight for the ongoing pandemic, and finding new opportunities has become a necessity for those who want to survive in the slumping economy.



穿上圍裙，準備打菜，賴先生原本是雄獅旅遊業務部主管，受疫情影響，集團借調相關人員到中央廚房服務，準備經營外送市場，賴先生因為過去有餐飲背景，主動請調。

雄獅旅遊員工 賴先生表示：「都是在前台面對客群，所以我覺得相對來說，也算是得心應手。」

從旅遊跨界賣便當，雄獅集團目前便當只提供員工，一方面進行壓力測試，將在擴大中央廚房後，投入外送市場，集團下原有的餐廳，也會同步推出外送服務，目前旅遊部門收入歸零，對比過去正常出團時期，每月營收20到30億元，轉型迫在眉睫。

雄獅集團發言人 游國珍表示：「第一步先針對內部的員工做銷售，那甚至我們有發，比如說一個月六百塊的折價券給員工，然後去做內部的消費，先進行壓力測試。」

也受疫情衝擊的五星級飯店餐飲營收，除了推出外帶服務，寒舍艾美也歸推出午間便當，搶攻上班族午餐市場，業者不諱言，可以多少增加收入，品保協會分析，目前觀光產業因政府紓困稱到六月底沒問題，但若國際疫情延燒，難保下半年又出現倒閉潮。

品保協會發言人 李奇嶽表示：「政府的紓困方案是一波一波，我想給大家相對都有一些幫忙。那如果說疫情要拖到九月，或是到年底的話，那真的大家很多人撐不下去。」

品保協會表示，目前旅遊業除了員工培訓，也積極開發財源，像是經營網路通路販售產品，畢竟國際疫情持續邊境解封遙遙無期，業者得自救求生存。