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(CNN) With travel making a big comeback but air fares on the rise making long-haul flights difficult for many, destinations are doing everything they can to encourage visitors to come and boost their savings.
The latest is Taiwan, which plans to offer $165 per tourist for a vacation there. Cash rewards will also be given to tour groups to encourage them to visit the island.
Taiwanese Prime Minister Chen Shen Jin announced on Thursday that the government aims to attract six million tourists in 2023, doubling that number in 2024 and targeting 10 million visitors by 2025.
As a local, they will provide grants of NT$5,000 (US$165) to 500,000 individual tourists. Grants 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 subsidy will be delivered digitally. Tourists will be able to use it to survive in Taiwan, including accommodation costs.
He added that the measures are aimed at attracting more visitors from major markets including Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Europe and America.
Taiwan had less than 900,000 visitors in 2022, according to statistics from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. Visitors from Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan and the United States were among the largest groups.
These numbers are a fraction of those of 2019, when Taiwan attracted a record 11.8 million international tourists, an increase of more than 7% year-on-year.
The island lifted entry restrictions in October 2022, following one of the longest border closures in the world.
Ready to book? Hold the fire now. The government has yet to announce when the scheme will start or how to apply for the money.
Wayne Chang also contributed to this report
