Many countries are still struggling to bring tourism back to the level it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Places like Hong Kong and regions in Italy have turned to offering free travel and even free housing to encourage people to visit and boost their economies.
The newest country on that list is Taiwan. The government offers 5,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $163 USD) per passenger or NT$20,000 (about $653 USD) for up to 90,000 tour groups.
According to The Points Guy, Chang Shi-chung, director general of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, stated that should be sent through a digital tourist card to ensure that the money goes directly to tourism of the country. Travelers will be able to use the cards for food, accommodation and other travel expenses.
The country aims to attract more visitors from places like Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macao, Europe, and the US
According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, the country saw less than 900,000 visitors in 2022 compared to 11.8 million international tourists in 2019.
It is not yet clear when and how Taiwan will start distributing the digital tourist cards, as the government has not yet announced the plan.
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