Taiwan ranked 34th in a global passport index that measures accessibility to countries and areas worldwide, far ahead of China in 69th spot, Henley & Partners said in a report issued Tuesday.
According to the latest ranking by the London-based investment migration consultancy, Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders can enter 145 countries visa-free or with visa-on-demand access, whereas Chinese passport holders can only do so in 80 countries.
Taiwan fell two places compared with early this year, the report said.
Japan topped the rankings, with its passport granting access to 193 nations, according to Henley & Partners.
Singapore and South Korea tied for second place with access to 192 countries, while Spain and Germany shared third spot with 190.
Henley & Partner’s list ranks 199 passports according to the number of countries holders can access without a prior visa as of July 2022.
Despite the top ranks being occupied by countries in Asia, residents in the region are less likely to cross borders than Europeans and North Americans, where mobility levels have recovered to about 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels, the report said.
In a press release issued on May 17, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged Asia-Pacific states to further ease border measures to accelerate the region’s recovery from COVID-19.
International passenger demand for March in the Asia-Pacific region reached 17 percent of pre-COVID levels, after hovering at below 10 percent for most of the last two years, IATA said.
“This is far below the global trend where markets have recovered to 60 percent of pre-crisis levels. The lag is because of government restrictions. The sooner they are lifted, the sooner we will see a recovery in the region’s travel and tourism sector, and all the economic benefits that will bring,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, was quoted as saying in the press release.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel
