The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to introduce on July 15 a NT$5.5 billion (US$187.9 million) stimulus program for the travel industry, which has sustained massive losses since the nation’s borders were closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) yesterday met with travel agencies, hoteliers, amusement park operators and tour bus operators to discuss how the stimulus funds should be used to support the tourism industry.
Details of the program are to be finalized on Friday next week.
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
Travel Agent Association chairman Hsiao Po-jen (蕭博仁) told reporters after the meeting that participants said they hoped the funds could become available on July 15, instead of September as proposed by the government.
With the ministry agreeing, many travel agencies that have been in “intensive care units” should be able to move to “general wards,” he said.
Hsiao said they also hoped the government would quickly lift the ban on travel agencies organizing inbound and outbound tours, and removing the requirement that foreign tourists must have had at least three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) said that the ministry has agreed that the stimulus program would be enforced from July 15 to Dec. 15, rather than from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, and that the funds would apply to independent travelers, tour groups and amusement park visitors.
Independent travelers are to receive subsidies for tours that include days between Sunday and Thursday, Chang said.
The subsidies will be in the amount of NT$800, with an additional bonus subsidy of NT$500 for those who have received three shots of a COVID-19 vaccine, for a total subsidy of NT$1,300 per night.
The hotel must be star-rated, a cyclist-friendly hotel or a bed and breakfast recommended by the Taiwan Host Association.
Each person can apply for the travel subsidy only once, Chang said.
“Domestic travel and cross-border tourism will return to normal once we pass the plateau of the pandemic,” Chang said. “During the transitional period, we are helping hotels and tourists follow the disease prevention guidelines.”
The funding will be distributed on a “first come, first serve” basis, as the budget for the funding is limited, he said.
A group tour can receive up to NT$30,000 if it has more than 15 members, lasts at least three days, hires a guide who does not have an employer or is indigenous, and meets other special conditions specified by the bureau.
People can receive a 70 percent discount on admission fees if they go to an amusement park on a weekday, the bureau said.
Tour bus operators who scored at least a “B” in the annual performance evaluation would be given NT$1,000 to NT$2,000 per day by the Directorate-General of Highways if their buses were hired by travel agencies, with the funding capped at three days, Chang said.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s
RSS