The government plans to spend NT$300 million (US$9.5 million) to boost the number of domestic tourists following a drastic decline in Chinese tourists, with each domestic tour group to receive as much as NT$45,000 in subsidies.
At a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) said that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has submitted a plan to increase the number of domestic travelers to the Executive Yuan for final approval, in a bid to assist travel service operators whose businesses have been severely hurt by the declining number of Chinese tourists.
Chou Yung-hui (周永暉), director-general of the Tourism Bureau, told the committee that the number of Chinese tourists to Taiwan in the first 10 months of the year is estimated to have fallen by 300,000 to 400,000 from the same period last year.
Civil servants, teachers and military personnel have National Travel Cards, which provide NT$16,000 yearly for travel, Chou said, adding that they should be encouraged to travel around the nation and spend at least half of their allowances on tourism-related expenses.
They should also be encouraged to spend funds in areas severely affected by the fall in the number of Chinese tourists, Chou added.
While the bureau did not disclose any further details of the stimulus plan, saying that it has yet to be approved by the Executive Yuan, a report published by the Chinese-language China Times said that hotel operators in New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Kaohsiung, as well as Hualien, Taitung and Chiayi counties, have seen severe losses because of the dramatic falloff in the number of Chinese tourists.
Chiayi, Nantou, Hualien and Pingtung counties, as well as New Taipei City, have a number of destinations that were frequented by Chinese tourists, making them “disaster zones,” the report said, adding that travel service operators that focused on Chinese tourists would receive NT$300 million in subsidies to help them refocus on tours for domestic travelers, based on the plan submitted to the Cabinet.
Arrangements that would qualify for the subsidy include one, two and three-day tours, with subsidies of as much as NT$15,000 to be granted to one-day tour groups, the report said.
The subsidies would cover the costs of meals, accommodations and transportation for groups consisting of at least 10 members, the report said, adding that there would be no limit on the number of people in a tour group.
Schools, private groups and residential communities would also be able to apply for the subsidy if they organize tours, with each group receiving up to NT$5,000, the report said, adding that ecotourism groups would also receive a NT$5,000 subsidy.
Tour groups that enlist Chinese-speaking tour guides would be eligible for subsidies as well, with each guide to be compensated NT$1,500 per day by the government, it added.
The plan to subsidize domestic tour groups is expected to run for about six months, which is estimated to provide a NT$1.44 billion boost to the domestic tourism industry, the report said, adding that to encourage more people to take advantage of the program, members of the first 30 tour groups would each receive a Taiwan Pass, which provides various discounts.
In related news, Hochen told the committee that the ministry is working on having the Taoyuan Airport MRT Line, which has been delayed several times, ready before March, adding that it would respect the conclusions of inspectors.
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