No options to terminate lantern fest
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If the COVID-19 scenario improvements, adjustments would be made to the competition, which is to be held in an open spot this 12 months, the transport minister stated
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By Shelley Shan / Team reporter
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday claimed that his ministry has not nevertheless considered canceling the Taiwan Lantern Pageant in Hsinchu Town, adding that it would make adjustments dependent on modifications to the COVID-19 outbreak. 
Lin was responding to concerns from the media about no matter whether the Tourism Bureau may well think about canceling the annual flagship tourism function due to a cluster an infection at a healthcare facility in Taoyuan. 
The pageant would be held in an open up location in downtown Hsinchu this yr, Lin stated on the sidelines of a tourism forum.
Picture courtesy of the Hsinchu City Governing administration
The Tourism Bureau and Hsinchu City Authorities would make changes centered on the circumstance, as nicely as the Central Epidemic Command Center’s evaluation of the outbreak, he mentioned.
Equally would make an announcement if there is any alter in ideas, he claimed. 
“The issue is not irrespective of whether the festival ought to be canceled. It really should be how the party should really carry on now,” Lin claimed.
Though that contains the outbreak stays the No. 1 precedence, folks require to have on with their life, he stated.
The theme of the competition, “Riding the wind whilst chasing the light (乘風逐光),” expresses people’s hope of welcoming a bright long term immediately after the pandemic, and matches the government’s purpose of enforcing disorder-prevention measures, Lin extra. 
Minister Without having Portfolio Chang Ching-sen (張景森) mentioned in the opening speech of the forum that the pandemic has introduced Taiwan with an chance to renovate the domestic tourism sector. 
Prior to the pandemic, men and women experienced complained about big crowds, site visitors congestion and general public toilets at vacationer sights, he explained. 
“The pandemic has still left previously outbound travellers — about 18 million for every year — unable to travel overseas. The vacation expenses from this group of folks could perhaps arrive at NT$800 billion [US$28.08 billion], and a the vast majority of them chose to commit [their money] in Taiwan last 12 months,” Chang claimed. 
“However, can we nevertheless hold these vacationers in Taiwan after the pandemic is at the rear of us? Can we however keep the NT$800 billion of domestic travel expenditure in the nation? That is when the exam starts, which is why elevating the quality of domestic tourism is so vital,” he reported. 
“The previous detail I want to see is men and women touring domestically when the borders are shut and feverishly traveling abroad at the time the pandemic is more than,” he included.
The basic problem facing the tourism sector is that the country has 18 million outbound travelers per 12 months, but only 11 million inbound vacationers, Chang stated, incorporating that the domestic tourism current market would not have sustainable advancement if all round tour top quality stays low. 
Applying Japan as an instance, Chang explained that 70 per cent of Japanese do not have passports and only journey domestically. 
This is simply because the government focuses on improving upon the high quality of domestic tourism, which has helped type a faithful base of regional tourists, he claimed.
The vacation business was capable to retain the domestic tourism marketplace very last yr mainly because the governing administration was efficient in that contains the COVID-19 outbreak, Tourism Bureau Director-Basic Chang Hsi-chung (張錫聰) explained.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has applied insurance policies to initiate qualitative and quantitative modifications in the journey field, he reported. 
Due to the fact July, the authorities has supplied many vouchers, resulting in 18.46 million domestic vacation visits from July to Oct, and producing an output benefit of NT$64.6 billion, Chang Hsi-chung claimed.
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