By Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe much-anticipated domestic travel subsidies, designed to encourage people to travel on weekdays, are to become available on Sept. 1.請繼續往下閱讀...The expanded domestic tourism subsidy program, which has a NT$3.33 billion （US$104.31 million） budget, was scheduled to launch in April, but was delayed due to the stalled review of the central government general budget.The legislature approved the plan on Friday last week.People can begin registering for accommodation subsidies and birthday travel vouchers from yesterday.Travelers visiting destinations in Taiwan proper would receive a rebate of NT$800 for the first night and an additional NT$1,200 for the second night.Those traveling to outlying islands would receive NT$1,000 for the first night and NT$1,500 for the second night.Travelers may stay at different accommodations for the two nights, but they must be consecutive, the Tourism Administration said.Although the accommodation subsidies would be available through Nov. 30, the agency said it reserves the right to announce an earlier end date if the funds are exhausted ahead of schedule.Applicants must register through an official database and present their national ID or National Health Insurance card when checking in to their accommodation, it said.Rebates would be granted after hoteliers verify their identities, it added.Travelers would also be awarded additional points based on the rebate amounts they receive, which could be exchanged for admission to amusement parks or other products, the agency said.Birthday travel vouchers would be available from Sept. 10 to Dec. 31, it said, adding that 1,000 people would be selected via a free draw each month to receive a NT$1,200 voucher.Travelers may use the accommodation subsidy and the birthday travel voucher in one trip, the agency said.Companies that hold corporate retreats in Taiwan from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15 would receive a subsidy of NT$20,000 per group for a two-day tour, it said.Subsidies for corporate retreats would be capped at NT$60,000, it added.The program would also offer more incentives for international tourists.People who want a Taiwan Railways Taiwan PASS could either buy it at a 50 percent discount or pay the full NT$2,500 price and receive a NT$1,500 accommodation voucher, the agency said.The voucher may be used with accommodation subsidies and birthday vouchers, it said, but added that the incentives are not applicable for the high-speed rail version.The program would also reward repeat international visitors, defined as those who have visited Taiwan since Jan. 1, 2023.Repeat travelers would have a chance to win NT$5,000 in spending money and receive an additional NT$3,000 if they arrive with a companion, the agency said.An overseas travel group with four or more people could receive NT$10,000 to NT$30,000 in subsidies if 10 percent of its members are repeat visitors, it added.Registration for the draw would begin at 10am on Oct. 1 and would apply to repeat visitors arriving after Oct. 10, it said.Those who book accommodation south of Taichung, in Hualien or Taitung counties, or on outlying islands would receive an additional subsidy of NT$1,000 per night, capped at NT$4,000, the Tourism Administration said.People visiting trade shows would be given a half-day or one-day tour with Taiwan Tour Bus, as well as a Taiwan PASS for the high-speed rail system for free, it said.Part of the program’s funding would be used to support the organization of flagship international concerts in Taiwan, the agency said.Separately, a record for international cruise tourism is expected to be set this year, with the number of cruise ship calls projected to be 605, and passenger arrivals surpassing 1.197 million, Taiwan International Ports Corp chairman Chou Yung-hui （周永暉） said yesterday.Company data showed that 332 international cruise ship calls brought 628,600 passenger arrivals to ports across Taiwan in the first half of the year.The figure is expected to exceed last year’s record of 1.1567 million arrivals, the company said.Taiwan would also welcome 20 international cruise ships making their maiden calls at local ports, including the Ritz-Carlton luxury cruise ship Ilma and the expedition cruise ship Island Sky, it said.新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
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