《TAIPEI TIMES》Business visitors to receive cash to holiday in Taiwan

TOURISM BOOST: The project would not cover individuals, but up to NT$500,000 could be allocated per expo or conference for travel in the three days before or after the event

By Lin Ching-hua and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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Travelers on organized business trips are to receive NT$2,000 （US$63.77） each to remain in Taiwan as tourists after their trips conclude, the Tourism Administration and the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday.

The giveaway is part of an initiative to encourage people visiting Taiwan for meetings or conferences to stay longer.

NT$10 million has been budgeted for the project, the agencies told a news conference in Taipei.

Up to NT$500,000 may be allocated per exposition or conference for travel in the three days before or after the event, the agencies added.

The bureau said that the government had introduced similar projects in the past, but this was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic and the biggest budget ever allocated for such a project.

In previous years, NT$1,200 was allocated per visitor, the bureau said, adding that it hopes the larger amount will attract more interest.

People traveling as individuals would not be eligible for the handout, as the aim is to help the tourism industry, the agencies said.

The budget would cover at least 20 international events if the full NT$500,000 is used each time, with more funding possible depending on the results of the program, they said.

Bureau Deputy Director-General Cynthia Kiang （江文若） also touted her agency’s environmental efforts.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, the bureau has rolled out a corporate carbon footprint evaluation standard for expositions, enabling officials to help 25 enterprises cut their emissions by 148 tonnes, a 70 percent reduction from their previous footprint, she said.

The bureau has also created a carbon emissions calculator for businesses on the Meet Taiwan platform （www.meettaiwan.com） to facilitate self-regulation, she added.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES