Taiwan Tourism Bureau is subsiding trips to five national scenic areas in the south, but what do these destinations have to offer?

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/05/17
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — It was announced earlier this week that Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau is going to plow NT$40 million (US$1.3 million) of public money into subsidizing tour groups to visit certain national scenic areas in the south of Taiwan.

Any tour group which is planning to visit attractions at any of the five specified national scenic areas will be entitled to apply for an accommodation subsidy of NT$500 per person and 50% of their total travel costs. The total subsidy is capped at NT$30,000 per tour group or NT$50,000 per tour group if they are visiting Penghu (澎湖).

Using public funds to subsidize tourism in this way is a strategy that is not without its critics. But to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s credit, this scheme does seem to be part of a broader strategy to raise the profile of some of the many natural attractions in the south of Taiwan that too many tourists miss out on.

How effective it is remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that the five national scenic areas being focused on have a lot to offer. So, whether you are hoping to take advantage of the subsidy to join a tour to the region, or are simply interested in seeing some of Taiwan’s less-hyped scenery, we have decided to profile each of the five national scenic areas in question:    [FULL  STORY]