Lee said the Taiwanese government is “doing its best to speed up vaccination programmes” for residents, and hoped to open to international tourists in Q1 of 2022 or “no later than Q2”.

She said 60-70% of Taiwan’s residents had received their first vaccine dose, while around 40% had received their second dose. However Covid-19 rates are low in the destination, with a total of around 16,000 positive cases since the start of the pandemic.

Lee added that the country hopes to appeal to culture and nature-loving tourists in 2022 by highlighting sights such as the salt fields of Jingzaijiao in Tainan and events such as the Chishang Autumn Rice Harvest Arts Festival, during which visitors can watch theatre and dance performances that take place in the scenic rice fields. 

The destination is also keen to attract pro and semi-pro cyclists to its annual KOM (King of Mountain) one-day challenge event, where cyclists climb up to 3,500 metres into the mountains over a 105-kilometre course. 

With more than 277 mountains that reach heights of 3,000 metres or more, the destination is well suited to hikers and mountain climbers as well as bikers, added Lee. The mountains can also be explored on a scenic train ride on the Alishan Forest Railway, which was constructed in 1912. 

Lee said she hoped that new direct airlift from Eva Airlines departing from both Milan and Munich into Taipei would help boost visitor numbers in 2022. 

She added that the destination is working closely with local communities to create authentic new tourism product that will benefit local economies and communities as well as attract tourists.