Taiwan to offer NT$5,000 travel credits to repeat foreign visitors

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's Tourism Administration will roll out a series of incentives for travelers beginning in September, including NT$5,000 travel credits for repeat foreign visitors and subsidies for company-sponsored trips and domestic hotel stays.

The administration said Thursday that it will hold weekly lotteries beginning in October for independent foreign travelers who have previously visited Taiwan.

Winners will receive an NT$5,000 (US$156) stored-value travel credit, while one accompanying traveler will be eligible for an additional NT$3,000 credit.

The program is open to foreign passport holders who do not hold a Taiwan residence permit, have visited Taiwan at least once since Jan. 1, 2023, and plan to stay for between three and 90 days on their next trip, according to the administration.

Travelers can register on a designated website between seven and 90 days before arriving in Taiwan. The website will open at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1, and the program will apply to travelers entering Taiwan between Oct. 10 and March 31, 2027.

The number of winners each week has yet to be determined, the administration said.

Winners can redeem the credits at 7-Eleven stores and load them onto an icash 2.0, iPASS or EasyCard for use at participating merchants across Taiwan.

The administration will also offer additional subsidies for overseas companies and organizations bringing groups to Taiwan on company-sponsored reward trips.

Under the program, organizers will receive an additional NT$1,000 per person per night, up to NT$4,000 per person, if the group stays at licensed accommodations in Taichung, areas south of Taichung, Hualien or Taitung counties, or Taiwan's outlying islands between Oct. 10 and March 31, 2027.

The subsidy will be provided on top of an existing incentive travel program, under which eligible groups can receive NT$20,000 to NT$150,000 per group for three-day, two-night trips, or NT$400 to NT$800 per traveler for stays of at least four days and three nights, depending on group size.

The administration said applications for the company-sponsored reward trip subsidies must be submitted at least 15 days before the group's arrival.

Meanwhile, international visitors attending conferences or exhibitions in Taiwan between Sept. 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, will be offered a complimentary Taiwan Tour Bus package, with a choice of a half-day or one-day guided tour.

They will also receive a Taiwan PASS (THSR Edition), which provides unlimited Taiwan High Speed Rail travel for three consecutive days, along with free use of one selected metro system in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung or Kaohsiung, and one selected scenic shuttle service.

The Tourism Administration said it will also provide support for internationally renowned concerts and other flagship entertainment events as part of efforts to strengthen Taiwan's competitiveness as a destination for large-scale events.

For domestic travelers, weekday lodging subsidies will be available from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30. The subsidies are available only to Taiwanese citizens.

Eligible travelers can receive subsidies of up to NT$800 for the first night and NT$1,200 for the second. Those staying on Taiwan's outlying islands can receive up to NT$1,000 for the first night and NT$1,500 for the second.

Travelers using the weekday lodging subsidy will also be eligible to receive points for use at theme parks, with the number of points determined by the amount of the lodging subsidy received.

Birthday lodging vouchers worth NT$1,200 each will also be made available to 12,000 Taiwanese citizens.

Registration for the birthday voucher program opened Thursday, with the results to be announced on the morning of Sept. 9. The vouchers can be used from Sept. 10 through Dec. 31.

Travelers purchasing the Taiwan PASS (Taiwan Railways Edition) between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 will also be able to choose between a 50 percent discount on the pass and an NT$1,500 weekday lodging voucher.

The lodging voucher can be combined with both the weekday lodging subsidy and the birthday lodging voucher, according to the administration.

Taiwan-based companies organizing domestic employee trips between Sept. 1 and Dec. 15 will also be eligible for subsidies, provided they meet group size and composition requirements.

Organizers of two-day, one-night employee tours can receive subsidies of NT$20,000 per group. Each company is eligible for up to NT$60,000 overall.

Funding totaling about NT$3.33 billion for the initiatives passed legislative review on Aug. 14.