Taiwan hopes a generous travel subsidy will boost Japanese tourist numbers in the final two months of the year.

The News Lens
Date: 2016/10/11
By: Yuan-ling Liang

Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau today announced a new program to attract Japanese tourists.
For the final two months of 2016, one in every four Japanese tourists traveling as part of a group will fly for free to Taiwan.

An estimated 2,500 tour groups are expected to benefit from the program. The Tourism Bureau will cooperate with travel agencies and airline companies to carry out the scheme.

Many commentators have described this year as a “harsh winter” for Taiwan’s tourism industry, with concern that Beijing may have curbed the number of Chinese citizens who can travel to Taiwan in oder to “punish” the new Taiwan-centric government elected in January. Anecdotal evidence suggests restrictions have hit tour group operators, and the latest statistics show visitors from China dropped by more than 110,000 in August from the same period last year.     [FULL  STORY]