Taiwan is offering a $165 incentive to 500,000 tourists in an effort to boost its post-pandemic travel industry and increase spending. Taiwan's transport minister Wang Kuo-tsai announced that tourists will be able to use the digital payment to cover their costs in Taiwan, including accommodation. The government is hoping to welcome six million visitors this year with a focus on key markets such as Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao, Europe, and America. The incentives are part of a $165 million package that also includes travel agency subsidies and promotions.
Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for approximately 4% of Taiwan's GDP. However, visits came to a halt as Taiwan closed its borders and enforced quarantine rules to contain the virus. The Chinese government also banned individual tourists traveling to Taiwan in 2019, and last month, Taiwan was left off a list of 20 permitted destinations for Chinese tour groups. Taiwan has taken some steps to welcome visitors, such as reopening its borders to individual travelers from Hong Kong and Macau this month.
Last year, Taiwan had about 900,000 inbound visitors, mainly from Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States, after lifting Covid-19 restrictions in October 2022. Meanwhile, Hong Kong recently announced a "Hello Hong Kong" campaign, giving out 500,000 air tickets among other perks.
Taiwan's Premier Chen Chien-jen aims to double the number of visitors to 12 million by 2024. The incentives program is an effort to attract more visitors from key markets, and the government hopes it will encourage more people to travel to Taiwan and contribute to the economy.
