Online Reservations for Hot Air Balloon Rides Open on May 18 避排隊搶搭熱氣球釀群聚 18日線上預約

The 45-day Taitung Balloon Festival will be held from July 2 to Aug. 15 this year. The county said online reservations for balloon rides will open on the 18th.

The 45-day Taitung Balloon Festival will be held from July 2 to Aug. 15 this year. In light of the ongoing epidemic, all personnel must be vaccinated and boosted to work at the event.
  
Yu Ming-hsun, Director, Taitung County Tourism Department: “Even though the event is being held, there will be epidemic prevention measures in place. For example, all workers must have had three vaccines.”

The county says many countries resumed outdoor and tourism activities this year, including the resumption of hot air balloon events. Twenty-plus foreign balloon teams have been invited to attend Taitung's festival, along with 30-plus domestic teams. The county also says most of the foreign invitees are first-time participants in Taitung. Local residents that opposed holding the event last year hope the county government will do everything it can to protect the community.

Ms. Wu, Citizen: “I'm glad the festival will be held, and I also hope the county government will do a good job on the prevention front.”

Yu Ming-hsun, Director, Taitung County Tourism Department: “We will have rolling discussions based on the epidemic situation and CDC guidelines.”

The county says online reservations for balloon rides will be available this year to keep queues to a minimum. Reservations open on the 18th for 89 rides with a total of 7,120 spaces.

東部暑假最熱門的台東縣熱氣球嘉年華會，今年仍然不受疫情影響，縣府宣布照常舉辦，從7月2日起到8月15日，舉辦45天。縣府為了加強防疫，特別要求今年參加熱氣球活動的所有工作人員，包括臨時人力，都要打滿3劑疫苗才能進場服務民眾或是從事熱氣球的地面工作人員

台東縣交通觀光處長余明勳表示：「雖然是照常舉辦，但是我們對於防疫的措施，我們還是有一定的規範，比如說我們所有的工作人員，一定都必須要打3劑，這個是一個基本的條件。」

台東縣府表示，由於今年世界各國陸續開放戶外活動和觀光，有不少國家熱氣球活動也開放，因此今年邀請外國熱氣球來台東很競爭，目前暫時邀請來的，有20多顆外國球，加上我國有30多顆。

台東縣府強調，邀請來的外國球，以第一次來台東的為主，會有看頭。而當地龍田社區的居民去年曾表達反對舉辦，但今年希望縣府能確實做好防疫，保障大家的健康。

民眾吳小姐說：「一年一度的嘉年華熱氣球能夠照辦，也希望縣府能夠把關，把防疫做到最好。」

余明勳表示：「會根據這整個疫情的發展跟中央CDC的規範，我們會做滾動的檢討。」

台東縣府表示，往年搭熱氣球要在現場排隊，今年為了防疫，和旅遊網站合作，開闢線上預約的活動網頁，18日開始預約。今年共有89場次、7120個名額。