TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Tourism Administration was present at the opening of a new shopping mall in Osaka after it announced it was spending an additional NT$100 million (US$3.07 million) to attract tourists from Japan and South Korea, reports said Saturday (Oct. 28).

The government has aimed to see 6 million travelers visit Taiwan this year, compared to 11 million annually before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the country has still witnessed a tourism deficit with Japan, with only 400,000 out of 2.59 million bilateral travelers being Japanese heading to Taiwan.

During the weekend, the Tourism Administration put in a presence at the new Mitsui Outlet Park LaLaport Kadoma in Osaka to promote Taiwan to the public, per CNA. Food, scenery, and the opportunity to win NT$5,000 vouchers by traveling to Taiwan on an individual basis were the main points of the event.

At the mall, 200 participants who had booked a flight or a tour could win one of the vouchers each, though they would not be eligible for a second voucher later on. The win allowed them to plan a travel budget accordingly, the Tourism Administration said.