Title: Taiwanese Resist Year-End Travel Rush: "Not Now, Try Later!"
As the winter holidays approach, many are eagerly planning their year-end vacations. However, a trend is emerging in Taiwan – a collective ‘no’ to overseas travel during the upcoming nine-day national holiday, starting from January 29.
The reasoning behind this phenomenon is remarkably uniform: the post-holiday rush to prevent and manage the omicron variant. With the holiday season marking a critical period for virus transmission, Taiwanese are choosing to stay home to ensure their safety and that of their loved ones.
"It’s too risky to travel now," mentioned one respondent. "I’d rather wait until after the holiday rush before planning a trip," added another. This sentiment is shared across various platforms and media outlets, sparking a wave of online conversations.
Travel agencies and airlines are also seeing a decline in bookings during this period. According to one agency, bookings have dropped by 70% compared to last year’s holiday season. It’s a stark contrast to the usual pre-holiday surge in travel demand.
So, what are Taiwanese planning to do instead? Many are opting for staycations, local travels, or simply spending quality time at home with family. Others are waiting for the post-holiday period, when it’s safer and hopefully easier to manage virus control.
While this might seem like a departure from the traditional year-end travel rush, it’s a clear testament to the Taiwanese people’s commitment to preventing the spread of COVID-19. They’re putting collective responsibility ahead of individual travel plans, choosing to protect, rather than put at risk, their hard-won safety and security.
