Taiwan Lifts Ban on International Cruises 我國再度開放郵輪來台靠港 行駛跨國航線

After two years and eight months, Taiwan finally lifts the ban on international cruises but the operators say it's a little bit too late since most of the cruise ships have already left Taiwan. The MOTC wishes that international travel will return to normal by 2024.
 

Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) finally announced the lift of the ban on international cruises on Oct. 24, but the Explorer Dream Cruise had already left Keelung Harbor earlier in March. Cruise operators say that many international cruise ships have left Taiwan one by one to other countries since cruises gradually returned around the world. Large cruise ships wouldn't be returning to Taiwan until 2024 probably, they say.

Pien Chieh-min, Travel agency GM: “The government is now paying more attention to carrying out all COVID prevention requirements and rules for the resumption of cruise ships. I think cruises would be put into service for domestic cruise trips around the island or to the offshore islands next year, in 2023. International cruise ships would probably not be coming to Taiwan anytime soon.”

Spurred by the lift of Taiwan's COVID-19 border controls, one local airline company launched new routes from Taipei to Milan, and seats for their first flight had sold out. The company will be launching new routes from Taipei to Munich as well next week. Airline operators are eagerly mapping out post-pandemic business. However, the construction of Terminal 3 for the Taoyuan International Airport will not be completed until 2026, but it will start operating through three stages.  

Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister, Ministry of Transportation and Communications: “T3 won't be fully done until 2026, but it will start operating through three stages. The North Hall would be in operation in 2024. It will be used for boarding and that allows for more boarding gates.”

The MOTC also emphasized they have been renovating the southern and northern runways in the past two years. The construction project would also open up more space in T1 and T2. The MOTC wishes that international traveling would be back to normal by 2024.

疫情衝擊，原本在基隆停泊等待復航的探索夢號，早在3月駛離基隆港，交通部終於在10月24日解除國際郵輪禁令，允許郵輪業者靠港台灣重啟跨國航線。不過業界直言，因國外解禁較快，很多國際大型郵輪已經陸續轉往他國布局，台灣現在解禁，要等大型郵輪公司再來，可能要到後年。

旅行社總經理卞傑民指出：「台灣的一些航程安排的申請上面，確實也比較重視一些防疫的措施，可能變成明年，在2023年度的話，這個以台灣為母港的一個航程，應該是大型船公司，應該都不會來了。」

業者不諱言，現在只能布局2024，而隨著國境解封，航空業者也蓄勢待發，國籍航空米蘭新航線，上午首發班機滿座，下週還要開航慕尼黑，業者積極布局疫後旅遊市場。只是，國門第一線桃園機場，延宕多時的第三航廈，現在預計要2026年才能完工。

交通部長王國材表示：「三航廈是在2026年會完工，但是它會分3段來開放，2024年先北廊廳，所以以後登機廊廳會增加多了。」

交通部強調，桃園機場2年多來，整建南北跑道，第三航廈分3段啟用，2024年起陸續開放，可以讓原有的一、二航廈空間增加，也希望國內航空市場在2024年回到疫情前狀態。