“Some of my friends and relatives have checked in with me and expressed their concerns after hearing the news. I’ll be meeting Taiwanese friends, so they will help me if anything happens. I’ll also tune in to the local news,” said Mr Teo.
Of her canceled trip, Ms Lai said: “We are quite disappointed because we have been planning and looking forward to the trip for months, which we booked in September 2023.”
Among the places and activities she had researched and picked out were kid-friendly farms, a seaside cafe in Hualien, whale watching and a long train ride for her son, who loves trains.
She said: “At the end of the day, at least we are safe and sound and not there when it happened. We can always go to Taiwan again next time.”
Tour agencies that ST spoke to said they were not canceling any upcoming tours to Taiwan and would be amending the itineraries to avoid affected areas.
A spokesperson for EU Holidays said that a group of 10, who had been in Taiwan since March 28, was due to return on April 4 while another group is expected to depart for Taiwan on April 5.
He said: “Members of the group, currently in Taipei, said they felt tremors, but all of them are safe. For our upcoming tour, the group’s itinerary will be amended to bypass Hualien.”
“Parts of the highway have been blocked, so there is no way for us to reach them. Our staff on the ground have also said that they are unable to contact hotels in Hualien,” he added.
Similarly, Nam Ho Travel said it would be altering the programs of groups scheduled to leave for Taiwan next week in order to avoid the affected areas.
Chan Brothers Travel marketing communications manager Jeremiah Wong said that its tour groups currently in Taiwan were not along the island’s east coast or in the Hualien region.
Mr Wong said: “We have assisted all of our travelers in reporting their safe status back to their families in Singapore to ensure peace of mind. Our itineraries are not currently affected.
“We are closely monitoring the situation, and if there is any need to adjust our itineraries and logistics, we will act in the best interest of our travelers to ensure safety remains our utmost priority.”
Additional reporting by Sarah Koh
Tags: Singaporeans change travel plans Taiwan wake #7.4magnitude earthquake
