Direct Flights From Kaohsiung To Nagoya / 高雄直飛名古屋、Kaohsiung Dragon Boats Appear in the Netherlands / 高雄龍舟在荷蘭
◎English Translation by Fang-Ju Lin ◎English Editor: Johanne Murray ◎Photograph by A-Kuei and Jung-Hui Pao and Jing-Tang Hou
Over the last few years China Airlines has made great efforts to establish new flight routes to Japan. On July 2, 2006, the first direct flight from Kaohsiung International Airport to Nagoya took off. Two flights a week are now scheduled on Wednesdays and Sundays (departing at 8:30am). The return flights to Kaohsiung will come back on the same days at 3:45pm. The flights are expected to double in October, in order to meet the demands of tourists traveling between southern Taiwan and Japan.
Kaohsiung City Government's Economic Affairs Bureau, Director Fu-feng Hung, anticipates these new direct Taiwan-Japan flights will increase tourism revenues for Kaohsiung. Chairman of Kaohsiung's Tourism Association, Chin-hsiang Huang, stated that these direct flights would particularly attract the elderly to sunny Southern Taiwan during the long cold season in Japan (September to March). It is also anticipated Japanese students taking graduation trips to southern Taiwan will become a great business potential with the increase of direct flights from Japan to Southern Taiwan.
This new route also offers added convenience for tourists from Southern Taiwan who previously had limited travel choices to Japan. China Airlines' option to Nagoya adds to the few other choices available to residents of Taiwan traveling to Japan. Japan Asia Airways began daily direct flights from Kaohsiung to Tokyo on October 30th of last year. There are other routes available from China Airlines and Eva Airlines, however these options entail transferring at C.K.S International Airport. China Airlines' direct flight from Kaohsiung to Nagoya saves travelers from Southern Taiwan at least two hours of connection time. According to China Airlines, many people travel to Japan during the July to August summer vacation. Seat bookings reached 85% in July.
◎文／林秀麗 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉．侯錦棠
中華航空公司努力多年飛航日本新航線有所突破，７月２日從高雄小港國際機場直飛日本名古屋新航線首航，定期於每周三、周日飛行２班次，未來視旅客需求，預定10月起增班為每周４班次，方便南台灣旅客與日本觀光客雙向旅遊需求。
華航從高雄直飛名古屋班機，７月份起於每周三、周日的上午８時20分起飛，原班機於下午３時45分返抵高雄。市府建設局長洪富峰表示，希望藉新闢便捷的台日航線，能為高雄帶來更多觀光產業收益。
南台灣旅客從高雄小港機場出發前往日本，從去年10月30日開始，才有日亞航開闢每天一班次高雄直飛日本東京的班機；若搭乘華航或長榮班機，都必須經由中正機場接駁轉機，華航新闢高雄往返名古屋直飛航線後，可縮短旅客於中正機場轉機時間至少２小時。
華航表示，由於７、８月正值暑假，不少民眾都安排赴日旅遊計畫，高雄新闢直飛名古屋航線班機訂位情況熱烈，７、８月航班幾已被旅行團訂位客滿，７月載客率可望達到85％。市政府也預期，華航開闢高雄─名古屋新航線，可望能帶動更多日本觀光客到南台灣旅遊。
高雄市觀光協會理事長黃金祥表示，每年９月至次年３月之間，正值日本嚴寒冬季期間，南台灣的溫暖氣候，極適合拓展日本銀髮族、學生畢業旅行來南台灣旅遊長遠商機。
During the Deputy Mayor of Amstelveen's visit form the Netherlands to Kaohsiung in February of this year, a presentation was made to him of two dragon boats, in the hope of strengthen the relationships between the two cities. In return for the hospitality shown by Kaohsiung, Amstelveen city government held a dragon boat celebration on July 2nd. The Information Office Director-General, Shih-Szu Wang, on behalf of Kaohsiung city government, attended this event. She expressed how much Kaohsiung wishes to form an even stronger bond with Amstelveen city. She therefore invited friends from Amstelveen to come to Kaohsiung for the World Games in 2009, to take part in the largest sports event ever to be held in Taiwan.
高雄市政府贈送荷蘭阿姆斯特芬市(Amstelveen)的兩艘龍舟，於７月２日在當地舉辦龍舟慶典，新聞處長王時思代表市府前往觀禮，並傳達高雄市民的祝賀與情誼，期望加強二城市交流，更邀請荷蘭友人參加2009高雄世運龍舟賽。(◎文／歐陽萱 ◎攝影／吳正婷)