Attracting tourists from Southeast Asian nations is a key part of President Tsai Ying-wen’s (蔡英文) “new southbound policy,” according to official government budget figures.
Of the NT$4.5 billion (US$142 million) which the Executive Yuan has budgeted for the policy, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications — which includes the national Tourism Bureau — is to receive NT$200 million, while the Ministry of Culture is to get NT$100 million.
The funds are to be spent on making it more convenient for tourists to visit, as well as promoting tourism and Taiwanese culture.
Although the number of foreign tourists climbed almost 9 percent during the first half of this year according to Tourism Bureau statistics, the growth has been dampened since May by a decrease in the number of Chinese tourists.
The number of visitors from China, who comprise more than a third of foreign tourists, was down more than 15 percent in July when compared with last year, the latest month of statistics available on the Tourism Bureau’s Web site.
As part of efforts to encourage tourism from Southeast Asia, visa-free entry was expanded last month to include citizens of Thailand and Brunei.
This month, citizens of India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines have also been granted conditional visa-free entry, if they can demonstrate that they have previously been issued a visa by the US, EU, Japan or South Korea.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬), an immigrant from Cambodia, said that while Southeast Asian nations suffer from substantial income inequality, there are businesspeople and white-collar workers with disposable income who wish to travel overseas.
The conditional opening of visa-free entry could help attract wealthier people, Lin said, adding that there is substantial potential for development in a number of business sectors, including plastic surgery and luxury goods.
“Taiwan’s large amusement parks are also a major draw,” she said, as Cambodia and Laos do not have attractions like the Leofoo Water Park and Janfusun Fancyworld.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said there is potential to develop boat tours around the nation similar to those available in Japan.
Hsu also urged the government to provide incentives for cruise ships to dock at the nation’s harbors.
Additional reporting by Abraham Gerber
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese