Taiwan will pay tourists to vacation there in 2023

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(CNN) With travel making a big comeback, but soaring airfares making long haul flights difficult for many, destinations are doing everything they can to encourage visitors to come and boost their economies.

The latest is Taiwan, which plans to offer $165 per tourist for a vacation there. Cash rewards will also be given to tourist groups to encourage them to visit the island.

Taiwan’s Prime Minister Chen Shen Jin announced Thursday that the government aims to attract six million tourists in 2023, doubling that figure in 2024 and targeting 10 million visitors by 2025.

As a local, they will give grants of NT$5,000 (US$165) to 500,000 individual tourists. Allowances of up to NT$20,000 (US$658) will also be provided to 90,000 tour groups.

Transport Minister Wang Kuo-tsai said on Wednesday that the cash allowance will be delivered digitally. Tourists will be able to use it to make ends meet in Taiwan, including accommodation costs.

He added that the measures aim to attract more visitors from major markets including Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau, in addition to Europe and America.

Taiwan saw fewer than 900,000 inbound visitors in 2022, according to statistics from Taiwan Tourism Office. Visitors from Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan and the United States were among the largest groups.

These numbers are a fraction of those in 2019, when Taiwan attracted a Record 11.8 million international tourists An increase of more than 7% over the previous year.

The island lifted entry restrictions in October 2022, after one of the world’s longest border closures.

Ready to book? Hold the fire now. The government has not yet announced when the scheme will start or how to apply for the money.

Wayne Chang also contributed to this report