TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hualien County Government said Friday the county will resume direct flights to South Korea’s Cheongju after October.

The county had direct flights to Incheon and Busan in South Korea in November 2019, but services were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The county government said a delegation from South Korea will visit Hualien next week to explore the area and discuss the details of resuming direct flights, per CNA.

The county’s Tourism Department participated in a tourism promotion event in South Korea from April 17 to Tuesday. The agency promoted Hualien’s travel experiences there, including golf, railway, and cycling tourism, and also met with South Korean airlines to discuss potential cooperation.

Yu Ming-hsun (余明勲), the department’s director, said that South Korean travel agencies showed strong interest in Indigenous festivals, eco-tourism, and beer produced by Hualien Distillery. He noted the decision to resume flights after October was made with Taiwan's hot and humid summer weather in mind, as it may be uncomfortable for South Korean visitors.

South Korea remains one of Hualien’s key international tourism markets, Yu said. To attract more visitors, the county government has launched an incentive program for foreign tour groups. 

Yu added that travel agencies bringing groups of 12 or more to stay in the county for at least two nights and participate in designated tour activities before the end of November will have a chance to receive a subsidy of up to NT$4,000 (US$123) per visitor.

According to the Tourism Administration, the number of South Korean visitors to Taiwan surpassed 1 million last year. The agency estimates the number will exceed 310,000 in the first quarter of this year.

Last weekend, the administration collaborated with the Taiwan Visitors Association to hold a tourism promotion event in Seoul. They created a Taiwanese-style stir-fried food restaurant to showcase the nation's unique culture and cuisine at the event.