TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese eager to travel overseas after the country is expected to loosen travel restrictions have zealously booked plane tickets for the second half of this year and the Lunar New Year holiday next year despite a massive increase in airfare, ezTravel Co. said in a press release on Monday (June 13).

According to the travel website’s sales data, searches for flight tickets have increased drastically since Japan and South Korea announced the opening of their borders to international travelers, and the three most-searched short-haul destinations have been Tokyo, Seoul, and Bangkok, CNA reported. Due to demand for these flights, ezTravel said its single-day ticket sales have reached NT$10 million.

The travel site pointed out that global inflation coupled with fuel price hikes will push the cost of air tickets even higher in the future.

Compared to 2019, fares to Japan and South Korea are 30-40% and 60-80% higher, respectively, according to ezTravel.