Saving the tourism industry: The Tourism Bureau to launch an expanded domestic travel program in mid-October

▲The Tourism Bureau will subsidize travel agencies to launch domestic travel packages. (Photo / File)

Reported by Lin Rui-kang / Taipei

With a significant drop in Mainland Chinese tour groups severely impacting the domestic tourism industry, the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced,it will allocate approximately NT$100 million in mid-October to encourage travel agencies to launch domestic travel packages through differentiated subsidies. Special additional subsidies will be provided to counties and cities hit hardest by the decline in Mainland Chinese visitors, aiming to help Taiwan’s travel industry seize the opportunity for transformation.

With the sharp decline in the number of Mainland Chinese visitors to Taiwan, in order to reduce the impact, the Tourism Bureau will implement the “Expanded Domestic Travel Program.” Deputy Director Liu Xilin stated on the 3rd,this program is different from last year’s, being simpler in execution — that is, it will allocate NT$100 million in subsidies to travel agencies across Taiwan. It is expected that a brand-new “domestic travel group” package will be launched as early as mid-October. The package prices will definitely be lower than before, and the biggest difference this time is that there will be guides providing in-depth explanations for travelers, with the hope that the public can enjoy the treatment of international tourists at domestic travel prices.

Liu Xilin pointed out that the current focus is on arranging travel primarily on weekdays, and the Tourism Bureau will also provide additional subsidies to counties and cities where the decline in Mainland Chinese visitors is more severe, including New Taipei, Taoyuan, Nantou, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Taitung, to encourage travel agencies to arrange tours to these areas.

Liu Xilin emphasized that this is a measure taken in response to the current critical situation, but it will not be a long-term solution. The underlying goal is not to bail out the tourism industry, but to facilitate its transformation and develop a diverse range of markets.