Taiwan to launch travel subsidy program

台灣推出旅遊補助計劃

Subsidy a response to dwindling Chinese visitors


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan's Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) announced on Thursday (August 1) that the government would designate NT$3.6 billion for a "Taiwanese fall & winter travel subsidy program."

Beijing's ban on individual Chinese travelers to Taiwan went into effect today. In order to lessen the ban's impact on the tourism industry, the government is planning to subsidize domestic travel at the end of the year, reported the Central News Agency.

According to the minister, the subsidy will apply to both individual and group travelers, and further details will be announced soon. "We are prepared and will not bow to pressure from China," Liberty Times quoted him as saying.

A travel subsidy program was launched for the first time last year, covering only five districts with its NT$830 million budget. The year's subsidy will be the largest yet.

Tourism industry officials have expressed their frustration over the ban, according to UDN. Nevertheless, the industry is accustomed to the uncertainty of Chinese tourism and has diversified its market to buffer against such situations.