“For sure by the end of the year, tourism should be back to normal,” said President Surangel Whipps Jr. of the tourism outlook for Palau in the coming year.
Looking at the COVID-19 trends in Asia, President Whipps expressed optimism that the Palau key tourist markets will be re-opening soon.
Palau gets most of its visitors from Asian countries, particularly Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. Assessing the COVID in the region, Whipps said that there’s good news. He said that Korea has gone through the surge and is coming out of it. Japan is following that trend. He added that Taiwan is reaching its peak (COVID surges) and according to Taiwan Minister, by July it would be out of that cycle.
Palau is expecting to ease some of its entry restrictions come June 1st, confirmed Minister of Health Gafaar Uherbelau to further ease travel. What those changes will be though, are still to be determined.
We are anticipating changes come June 1st but details will be coming out later.
President Whipps urged Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during the ceremony marking the completion of the Palau International Airport renovation and improvement, to assist with getting direct flights from Japan to Palau.
In his remarks, Whipps said, “And the partnership doesn’t just include the defensive security. It also includes economic resilience and economic security.”