Taiwan will pay tourists to visit there in 2023

The government of Taiwan has unveiled an enticing offer for tourists to visit the country, with the aim of attracting six million visitors in 2023, CNN has reported.

Taiwan’s Premier Chen Chien-jen announced this goal on Thursday, with plans to double that number in 2024 and aiming for 10 million visitors by 2025.

To achieve this, the government is offering cash incentives to travelers in the form of NT$5,000 ($165) for 500,000 individual tourists and up to NT$20,000 ($658) for 90,000 tour groups.

According to Transport Minister Wang Kuo-tsai, the cash allowance will be delivered digitally to visitors and can be used to cover expenses in Taiwan, including accommodation.

The government hopes that this move will attract more tourists from key markets such as Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao, Europe, and America.

Although Taiwan saw just under 900,000 inbound visitors in 2022, which included a substantial number of travelers from Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, and the USA, it is still a far cry from the record-breaking 11.8 million international visitors the country welcomed in 2019.

To bounce back from the pandemic and revive the tourism industry, Taiwan has lifted its entry restrictions since October 2022, which had been one of the longest border closures in the world.

If you are ready to pack your bags and head to Taiwan, hold on for now as the government has yet to announce when the scheme will start or how to apply for the cash incentives.

Nonetheless, this initiative is undoubtedly an attractive offer for tourists seeking new travel experiences in Asia.