NT$5,000 Vouchers to Attract Foreign Tourists 吸引國際旅客來台 自由行領5千消費金

The Tourism Bureau is planning to issue vouchers to foreign visitors to help the tourism sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The queue is long, stretching from the entrance of the famous soybean milk store on the second floor to the first floor. Tourists have slowly returned after the opening of the border. A Singaporean tourist who came to Taiwan for the second time said that he has learned that Taiwan will hold a drawing for spending vouchers for tourists. He is ready to come to Taiwan again with his friends.

Tourist: “It's a good plan because we come here looking to have fun. In fact, you gave us such discounts, we will spend it here.”

I will definitely come again. When we saw that report yesterday, I thought to myself we must come back with friends.

Tourist: “Yeah, I think that people would come, for you know, this lottery. I think it would be an extra incentive.”

The idea of the tourist vouchers is to stimulate inbound tourists to spend in Taiwan, so no cash will be issued. The program will target individual travelers from various countries, and will draw winners through irregular marketing activities in the next three years. Tourists will be able to collect the e-voucher of NT$5,000 at a special area in the airport after they arrive in the country. This marketing program will be launched in April at the earliest. The Tourism Bureau is currently cooperating with the three major national airlines to discuss marketing activities.

Huang Shih-fang, Director, International Div., Tourism Bureau: “We are already in contact with the airlines. They want us to match the program's timing with the so-called off-peak season because they think travelers can't buy airline tickets during the peak season. Thus, the incentives will actually be ineffective and a bit of a waste of money.”

Some tourism experts reminded that the tourist spending vouchers should prevent Taiwan from becoming a "cheap tourist destination." The Ministry of Transportation and Communications responded that after the pandemic, countries are vying for international tourists. This is a short-term program and will not be a normal subsidy. 

排隊人龍從知名豆漿店2樓店鋪門口，綿延到1樓。國境開放後，旅客慢慢回流，有第2次來台的新加坡旅客說，已經得知台灣將舉辦發放消費金給觀光客的行銷活動，準備找朋友再來一次。

旅客認為：「這計畫不錯呀。其實因為總而言之我們來這裡，本來就是想玩的，你其實給我們這樣的優惠，我們也是在這裡消費。」

旅客表示：「一定會，一定會（再來）。我們昨天看到那個報導的時候，就想說我們一定要再跟別的朋友一起過來。」

也有旅客說：「我相信旅客會在這次的抽獎活動結束時前來，我認為這就像是一個額外的獎勵。」

規劃消費金的構想，是希望刺激入境旅客在台消費，所以不發現金。將鎖定各國自由行客，3年內透過不定期行銷活動抽出得獎者，給予儲值好新台幣5000元的電子票證。旅客入境後，到機場專區領取，50萬份會分階段送出，不是先搶先贏，也非人人有獎。相關活動最快4月上路，目前已經和三大國籍航空合作，洽談行銷活動。

觀光局國際組組長黃勢芳說明：「我們已經很快的在跟航空公司做聯絡，那航空公司他們希望我們的誘因，可以搭配所謂的淡旺季。因為他們認為在旺季的時候，已經買不到機票，刺激事實上是無效的，而且是有一點浪費錢。」

對於有觀光學者提醒，發消費金要避免讓台灣淪為廉價旅遊目的地，交通部回應，因應疫情後各國都在搶國際觀光客，這是一個短期的活動，不會是常態補助。