TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s EVA Air and Starlux Airlines are expected to open new routes to the Philippines next year amid a rosy outlook for bilateral tourism.

Hsu Chung-chung (許俊中) from EVA Air, one of the two major airlines in Taiwan, said at a promotional event in Manila on Thursday (Oct. 20) that the company will start flying to Clark International Airport in the second quarter of 2023.

The launch of the long-planned route has been delayed due to COVID. Taiwanese business persons in Clark, which sits in the northern Philippines, will no longer have to spend two to three hours traveling to Manila before they can fly to other places, CNA quoted him as saying.

Also seeking to profit from the increased demand of bilateral travel is the young air carrier, Starlux, which will resume daily flights to the tourist hotspot Cebu from Jan. 17 next year. Huang Po-jen (黃泊荏) of the company said the resumption of the service reflects an expectation of a boosted demand for island travel among Taiwanese.

Taiwan has emerged as an increasingly ideal destination for Filipinos too, since it waived visa requirements for Filipino citizens in 2017. Among all arrivals to Taiwan in 2019, Filipinos accounted for over 60%, up from 40% previously, said a Tourism Bureau official.

The bureau estimates the number of Philippines visitors to Taiwan could reach 510,000 by 2023 and return to 2019 levels by 2024 with more flights put in place.