Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet.
The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10.
A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate.
.Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls and bustling night markets as two popular destinations for food enthusiasts.
Aside from bubble tea, pineapple cakes and the Taipei 101 skyscraper, tourists can explore Yangmingshan National Park and the hot springs in Beitou (北投) when in Taipei, it said.
US tourists can travel to Taiwan on flights provided by Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, as well as three major Taiwanese airlines — China Airlines Ltd (中華航空), EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) and Starlux Airlines Co (星宇航空), the company said.
EVA Airways and China Airlines offer direct flights to Taipei from several airports in the US, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, it said.
The recommendation is good news for the tourism industry, Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said, adding that the agency sees positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe.
“It shows that we need to continue to promote various tours for groups and individual travelers to Taiwan. We also need to speed up the development of low-carbon tours,” Chou said.
“We understand, of course, that incentives can still be attractive for tourists. While we would continue to support group tours with reasonable incentives, we propose that ‘Taiwan the Lucky Land’ [金福氣活動], an event that offers NT$5,000 for independent travelers through a free draw, would also continue until Sept. 30. Hopefully this event and discounts available for Taiwan Pass holders would continue to encourage tourists to visit Taiwan in the next six months,” Chou said.
Individual travelers from overseas are qualified for the free draw if they enter on a non-Taiwan passport and stay for three days to three months.
The incentive was originally scheduled to end on June 30, the agency said.
Tour groups from overseas that comprise at least four people and are to spend at least three days in Taiwan could receive NT$5,000 to NT$50,000 as an incentive.
The deadline for the incentive would be extended from June 30 to the end of November, the agency said.
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