Taiwan, the island nation located in East Asia, is looking to revive tourism by paying tourists $165 each to come visit. This week, Taiwan’s Premier Chen Chien-jen announced the incentives and noted the country is seeking to welcome 6 million tourists this year, and then, by 2025 they aim for 10 million tourists.
The island which has a population of approximately 23.5 million people, received a record number of 11.8 million international visitors in 2019, while in 2022 only 900,000 people visited. The country opened its borders in October 2022 following one of the world’s longest border restrictions and dropped mask rules in December.
500,000 people will be eligible for the $165 incentive, and the Ministry of Transportation and Communication announced allowances of up to $658 for 90,000 tour groups. “The money will be given out through multiple tourism promotion events this year, rather than giving it all out at once. As such, not all international tourists would receive it,” said Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung according to the Taipei Times. The cash allowance will be transmitted online and it can be used by visitors in Taiwan to pay for their expenses, including lodging.
For those interested to visit Taiwan, Taipei is the capital city and its official language is Mandarin Chinese. It is a popular tourist destination, that offers a unique blend of cultural heritage, scenic beauty and modern amenities, with attractions such as the Taipei 101 skyscraper, Sun Moon Lake, and Taroko National Park.
Other countries have also been giving incentives to boost their tourism, for example: Malta introduced a €3,500,000 plan to pay tourists to stay in hotels across the country, Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Italy is refunding tourists’ train fares, while Hong-Kong offers 500,000 free airline tickets.
Source: cnn.com
