TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will begin offering cash handouts of up to US$70 (NT$2,190) to travelers on group business trips to encourage them to extend their stay.
On Tuesday (Dec. 19), Board of Foreign Trade Director-General Cynthia Kiang (江文若) and Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉), jointly announced the "Sightseeing Along the Way" (順道觀光) subsidy program. This initiative encourages foreign business visitors attending exhibitions and conferences in Taiwan to engage in additional tourism.
Starting from New Year's Day, the subsidy will be US$70 per person on weekdays and US$50 on holidays. The maximum subsidy for each exhibition is set at NT$500,000.
The budget for the program is NT$10 million, and the Tourism Administration can adjust the budget based on the effectiveness of the promotion. With an estimated maximum subsidy of NT$500,000 for a single conference or exhibition, at least 20 international conferences or exhibitions held in Taiwan will benefit from this program.
Chou explained that foreign business travelers can receive subsidies as long as they travel in Taiwan for three days before or after an exhibition or conference. The organizer of the exhibition or conference must apply for the subsidy and the reimbursement will be processed afterward.
To encourage business people to travel on weekdays, the subsidy amount is higher on weekdays. Kiang added the subsidies do not apply to business visitors traveling independently.
Chiang said through this program, Taiwan could attract business visitors to stay in the country for a few more days and experience Taiwanese hospitality, not only promoting industry development but also enhancing tourism competitiveness.
Chou said that one of initiatives to promote tourism after the pandemic is to blend of business and leisure. By introducing the concept of a $70 subsidy, there is a heightened effort to attract international business visitors to travel in Taiwan, facilitating a connection between the exhibition industry and the tourism industry, said Chou.
Chou said that since business individuals attending exhibitions or conferences in Taiwan already need to visit the country, the supplementary travel subsidy won't increase the number of arrivals. However, statistical data indicates that business travelers tend to choose higher-quality itineraries and hotels, resulting in approximately 30% higher daily expenditure per person compared to general tourists.
The aim is to boost the spending of international visitors in Taiwan and encourage middle-to-high-end travelers to engage in tourism in the country, said Chou.
The program was also implemented from 2009 to 2018. During that period, a subsidy of US$30 per person was provided regardless of weekdays or holidays.
Before the pandemic, there were about 100,000 business travelers annually, with around 12,000 applying for the subsidy. However, due to the tight schedules of business travelers, only about 5,000-6,000 people actually received the subsidy.
