Citing growing demand, Taiwan-based EVA Air has announced that it will increase the frequency of its flights to Toronto and Vancouver, according to the Focus Taiwan news channel. Starting in June, the airline will begin offering daily flights from Taipei to both of its hub airports in Canada.

EVA Air first entered Canada in 2010 after Canada and Taiwan inked an agreement that would allow for visa-free travel between the two nations. Both countries have seen an increase in tourism since then, said Ms. Yung-mei HSU, a Taiwan representative at a press conference announcing the new service.

EVA Air’s first Canadian service ran from Taipei to Toronto with three flights per week. The airline added a weekly flight in 2014 and another one in 2016, and will now offer daily flights from Toronto, effective June 16. The daily flight from Vancouver commences June 15.

Hsu added that more than 100,000 Canadians visited Taiwan last year. This number reflects an increase of more than 17 per cent over the previous year.

EVA Air, which also offers 26 weekly connections to Bangkok from its Taipei hub, has also recently signed an agreement with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to extend a marketing partnership that encourages travellers to continue on to Thailand. According to an airline press release, some 50 percent of all travellers on the Taipei-Bangkok route are from Europe and North America. (In the Americas, EVA Air also offers flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York.)

“This [agreement] will help us to target tourists from the Americas - one of our most important and fastest growing markets,” said TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. “EVA Air is a vital link between North America and Asia as there are currently no direct flights from the USA and Canada to Thailand. By working with EVA Air on tourism initiatives we can help get the word out about Thailand’s attractions and boost visitor numbers even more in 2017 and beyond.”

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has also announced it plans to open a new office in Toronto.

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