Subsidies for post-quake Hualien travel to continue: Transport minister

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Transportation and Communications Minister Li Men-yen (李孟諺) pledged on Tuesday to continue providing travel subsidies to boost tourism in Hualien County, the area hardest hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Taiwan on April 3.

"Extending (the subsidy program) is not a problem," Li told reporters at a work briefing.

It means subsidies, totaling NT$800 million (US$24.3 million), after subtracting the portion already used, will continue beyond the original deadline of Sept. 30, Li said.

The extension is due to disruptions in rail and road traffic caused by Typhoon Gaemi last week, Li explained.

In addition, only about 10 percent of the budget, launched in June, has so far been used, he added.

Under the program, both independent and group travelers can receive accommodation subsidies of NT$1,000 per room if they travel to Hualien from Mondays to Thursdays, and NT$500 per room if their trip falls on a Friday or the weekend.

To further attract foreign tourists, Li added, the ministry is also mulling promotional campaigns such as buy-two-get-one-free airline tickets and buy-one-get-one-free high-speed rail tickets, among others.

Meanwhile, Hualien County Council on Tuesday approved a NT$1 billion government budget to distribute NT$3,000 cash coupons to each Hualien resident (including foreign national residents of Hualien County married to Taiwan nationals) to revitalize the local economy.

To be eligible, individuals must have obtained Hualien residency before April 3, according to Hualien County government, which added that the coupons will be distributed from late September to mid-October.