It isn’t quite the same as getting paid to travel, but the government of Taiwan plans to offer tourists an incentive to visit the country.
Taiwan re-opened its borders to travelers last October after one of the world’s longest COVID-19 pandemic-related border closures.
While approximately 900,000 visitors traveled to Taiwan in 2022, that’s substantially down from 2019’s record-setting tourist tally. Indeed, in 2019, nearly 12 million people traveled to Taiwan, according to Fortune.
Now, Taiwan’s Premier Chen Chien-jen has announced that the government is working to attract 6 million tourists in 2023, according to CNN. The plan then calls for continuing to attract visitors next year before drawing 10 million visitors by 2025.
In a bid to encourage travelers to visit Taiwan, the country’s government has approved a Tourism Bureau proposal that calls for using NT $5.3 billion (U.S. $174.31 million) to attract international visitors over the next 3 years, the Taipei Times reports. That includes payments of NT $5,000 (U.S. $165) to 500,000 individual tourists and up to NT $20,000 ($658) to 90,000 tour groups, depending on their size.
Here’s the catch: Tourists won’t receive the money until they arrive in Taiwan.
Importantly, the government has not announced when the program will begin or how travelers can apply to receive the incentive.
How The Incentive Will Work
First of all, not all international visitors will receive the incentive, Chang Shi-chung, the Tourism Bureau’s Director-General, explained, the Taipei Times reports.
Secondly, international tourists who do receive the incentive won’t receive the money until they arrive in Taiwan. Instead, the money will be stored “in an electronic ticketing card, which can be used to pay for food, accommodation, and other travel expenses during their time here,” Chang continued.
While $165 may not sound like much at first, you have to factor in the strength of the U.S. dollar in exchange rates.
Indeed, while costs vary depending on the location, the average hotel in Taiwan charges around U.S. $67 per night, according to Fortune. What’s more, meals can average around $5, and many attractions are free.
Who Will Be Offered The Incentive
As Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau works to attract 6 million visitors this year, it’s important to note that the country plans to draw visitors from a large number of targeted countries. For starters, the Tourism Bureau is targeting travelers from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America, Chang explains.
However, the Tourism Bureau is also working to attract visitors from countries in what it calls the New Southbound Policy, Chang continues.
The 18 countries defined in that policy are Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Whether you hope to score a tourism incentive or not, be sure to check out all of our Taiwan content, including
