Starting at noon today, foreign independent travelers arriving in Taiwan would be eligible to enter a draw to win NT$5,000 vouchers, the Tourism Bureau said.
The visitors should be scheduled to stay in the nation for at least three days to be eligible for the draw, it said.
However, travelers who arrive in tour groups or whose trips are subsidized by tour-related incentives would not be eligible, it added.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The voucher promotion is expected to benefit 500,000 foreign travelers until June 30, 2025, the bureau said, adding that the promotional period could be extended if the incentives prove to be effective.
To demonstrate how the draw works, several foreign tourists who arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Saturday were invited to try their luck.
Some visitors from France, Canada, South Korea and Hong Kong won the vouchers, the bureau said.
Tourism officials said foreign travelers can register for the draw on the campaign’s Web site (5000.taiwan.net.tw), which began accepting registrations on Friday.
Eligible visitors should register for the draw within one to seven days before their arrival in Taiwan, they said.
For example, visitors traveling on a flight that is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan at 11:59pm on June 1 can register for the draw from midnight on May 24 until 1 second before midnight on May 30, the Web site says.
In addition to providing their travel and contact information on the Web site, travelers need to indicate whether they want to redeem the NT$5,000 on a payment card or as five NT$1,000 vouchers that can be used to pay for their accommodation in Taiwan, the bureau said.
People who complete their registration would receive a confirmation e-mail containing a QR code that would be used for the draw, it said.
Upon arriving at one of the participating airports — Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Taichung International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport — the travelers should proceed to a dedicated area in the arrival hall and scan the QR code to enter the draw.
The draw is part of the government’s plan to attract 6 million foreign tourists by the end of this year and 12 million next year, which was the original target set for 2019.
As of Friday, Taiwan had recorded 1.55 million visitors this year, the bureau said.
The nation attracted a record 11.86 million visitors in 2019.
The incentives and subsidies are part of the government’s NT$380 billion post-COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery package approved by lawmakers on March 24.
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