Cruise tourism affected by Taiwan visa rules
Taiwan’s cruise tourism will be severely impacted next year because the government’s refusal to issue visas on arrival or a visa waiver.
Taiwan tour operators say the policy will drastically decrease the number of visitors arriving at the country’s southern port of Kaohsiung.
Kaohsiung has welcomed 47 cruise ships year, but in 2015 this will drop to 29 in part due to the visa rules.
Tour operators have urged the government rethink the policy and cruise lines have said they will act as guarantors for their Chinese passengers, to ensure they do not overstay.
The rules mean Chinese cruise guests have to apply for an entry visa to Taiwan in advance and the Taiwanese government has also imposed a maximum limit on the number of people able to apply.
As a result, some cruise lines will skip Kaohsiung on 2015 itineraries.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt