Taiwan to give tourism perk worth $165 each to 500,000 tourists in 2023

Friday, February 24, 2023

In an effort to strengthen its post-pandemic tourism industry and stimulate expenditure, Taiwan will provide cash or discount incentives to 500,000 tourists this year. The incentives, worth NT$5,000 ($165) each, were unveiled on Thursday as part of a NT$5.3 billion programme to attract international tourists.

Taiwan’s effort comes as other countries in the area launch similar attempts to attract tourists. For example, the “Welcome Hong Kong” campaign includes the distribution of 500,000 flight tickets, among other benefits.

Officials said in a statement that the money might be distributed electronically or through discounts for lodging.

“We hope to accelerate and expand efforts for international tourists to come to Taiwan,” Lin Fu-shan, department director of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, said at a press briefing.
The budget also includes a proposal to pay travel companies NT$10,000 for groups of at least eight visitors and NT$20,000 for groups of at least 15 tourists.

Following the removal of Covid-19 travel restrictions last year, Taiwan is seeking for measures to strengthen its economy. Growth is predicted to decelerate in 2023 as the trade-dependent island experiences a reduction in exports, emphasising the importance of stimulating activity through domestic demand and tourism.

According to Taiwan’s Tourism Agency, tourism accounted for around 4% of Taiwan’s GDP prior to the pandemic.

Visits, however, came to a halt when Taiwan closed its borders and enacted quarantine restrictions to control the virus. Geopolitical concerns have also dampened the business, with China prohibiting individual visitors from visiting Taiwan in 2019 and removing it from a list of 20 allowed locations for Chinese tour groups last month.

Taiwan has made certain moves to welcome tourists, including reopening its borders this month to individual visitors from Hong Kong and Macau. According to Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai, the government hopes to attract six million visitors this year.

Taiwan attracted approximately 900,000 tourists in 2022 after reopening in October, according to a statement from Taiwan’s Transportation Ministry.

The tourism announcement was part of a broader NT$380 billion stimulus plan authorised by Parliament last week through a special Act.

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