Over 53,000 register for Taiwan repeat visitor program in 7 days

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) The Tourism Administration said Thursday that a total of 53,304 foreign travelers had registered between Oct. 1 and Oct. 7 to participate in a program for repeat visitors to Taiwan, with plans to bring 10,017 accompanying friends and family members.

On Oct. 7 alone, 4,652 travelers registered, along with 896 accompanying friends and family members, according to a Tourism Administration news release.

The top nationalities among those registered over the seven-day period were Japanese, Hong Kong and Macau, South Korean, Singaporean and Filipino, the agency said.

The registration is part of an incentive program offering a chance to win NT$5,000 (US$157) in travel credits, while one accompanying friend or family member can receive NT$3,000.

The program is open to travelers who entered Taiwan on a passport other than a Republic of China (Taiwan) passport between Jan. 1, 2023 and the day before registration. Accompanying friends and family members are eligible if they have not visited Taiwan during that period.

Travelers planning to visit Taiwan for a 3-90 day stay between Oct. 10 and March 31, 2027 can register on the designated website between seven and 90 days before their planned arrival. The website opened at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1.

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

The first lottery draw was held Wednesday, the Tourism Administration said.

Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said 8.57 million foreign travelers visited Taiwan in 2025, with repeat visitors accounting for 42 percent. The repeat-visitor rate has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, she said.

According to agency data, a total of 6.175 million travelers visited Taiwan from January to September this year, up 1.93 percent from the same period in 2025.