TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foreign visitors who buy a single high-speed rail ticket to a destination in central or south Taiwan will receive a second one free of charge, the Tourism Bureau said Friday (Dec. 1).

There will be several preconditions attached to the program, per CNA. Only travelers who entered Taiwan on a short-term tourist visa will qualify, while they have to buy a single-journey ticket from specific sales locations and use the extra free ticket for a second person traveling together.

The program developed by the Tourism Bureau with the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) launched at noon Friday and will remain valid until the end of May 2024, officials said.

The approved sales channels included online travel platforms KKday and Klook. The Tourism Bureau also pointed out that only destinations from Taichung to Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung City would qualify for the extra ticket.

During December, the first month of the program, travelers can also head to the Airport Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) desk at Taoyuan International Airport to pick up a return ticket for the Airport MRT and a 72-hour ticket for the Taipei MRT free of charge.

In addition, the ticket sale platforms offer discounts for hotels, museums, amusement parks, and travel itineraries in central and south Taiwan.

The country hopes to welcome its 6th million visitor of the year around mid-December. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan registered 11 million visitors per year.