A tourism program that would offer cash incentives to foreign nationals to visit Taiwan is scheduled to begin on April 15, but many aspects of the plan have not been finalized, Tourism Bureau Deputy Director-General Trust Lin (林信任) said yesterday.
The bureau plans to distribute 500,000 NT$5,000 vouchers to foreign nationals visiting Taiwan if they meet certain criteria, such as arriving individually and not as part of a tour group, Lin told a news conference to mark Travel Safety Awareness Week, which begins tomorrow.
The vouchers might be distributed through a lottery system, but the specifics are being discussed, Lin said.
Photo: Ting Yi, Taipei Times
It was also unclear whether business travelers would be eligible, or if the vouchers would only go to leisure travelers, he added.
Visitors would be able to use the vouchers — which could take the form of a stored-value card or other medium — for hotels, shopping, transportation and dining, the bureau previously said.
The bureau said it plans to also award travel agencies NT$10,000 for every tour group of eight to 14 travelers it brings to Taiwan, and NT$20,000 for larger groups, with up to 90,000 tour groups expected to receive a subsidy.
Taiwan is hoping to attract 6 million overseas visitors this year, the bureau said.
Lin said that by the end of this month, about 1 million foreign visitors are expected to have arrived in Taiwan since January.
In the three years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan averaged about 11.2 million overseas visitors per year, but those numbers plummeted to about 1.38 million in 2020, 141,000 in 2021 and 895,000 last year, including 302,100 in December.
Separately, Lin also urged the public to use only legal campsites when spending the night outdoors during their travels.
About 1,500 illegal campsites exist in Taiwan, although the bureau is working with operators to bring them up to code, he said.
Ten percent of each hectare of farmland or forest can be used as campground, but the area must not overlap with environmentally sensitive areas, the bureau said.
Local governments have been asked to search for illegal campsites and impose fines of NT$60,000 that can be repeatedly issued on operators who fail to comply, it added.
Additional reporting by Ting Yi
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a
RSS