Foreign independent travelers who are scheduled to arrive in Taiwan at noon on May 1 and afterward can register for a lucky draw to win a prize worth NT$5,000 (US$163) to cover part of their spending during the visit, according to the Tourism Bureau.
The campaign, called "Taiwan the Lucky Land," will formally begin at noon on May 1 for independent travelers entering Taiwan with passports issued by countries other than the Republic of China (Taiwan), Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) announced at a press event at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Saturday.
Foreign tourists, whose flight arrives in Taiwan at noon on May 1 or afterward, are eligible to register and take part in the luck draw, if they stay in Taiwan for three to 90 days, the bureau said in a statement on Saturday.
Visitors who travel to Taiwan in tour groups or whose trips are subsidized by tour group-related incentives of NT$5,000-NT$50,000 from Taiwan would not be eligible to take part in the lucky draw, the bureau added.
A total of 500,000 prizes will be offered during the campaign period, which is set to conclude on June 30, 2025, Wang said, adding that the promotional period could be extended if such incentives are proven to be effective.
To demonstrate how the lucky draw works, several foreign tourists who arrived at the airport's Terminal 2 on Saturday were invited to try their luck, and a few of these visitors from France, Canada, South Korea and Hong Kong won some of the NT$5,000 prizes, the bureau said.
During the press event, tourism officials also explained how to use the official website, which began accepting registration on Friday, reminding the eligible visitors to register for the lucky draw within the period of one to seven days before their scheduled arrival date in Taiwan.
For example, visitors traveling on a flight that is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan at 11:59 p.m. on June 1 can begin registering for the lucky draw after midnight on May 24 until 1 second before midnight on May 30, according to the website.
Apart from their travel and contact information, the visitors planning to travel to Taiwan need to choose how the NT$5,000 would be redeemed -- which is available in the form of a payment card stored with the value, or five NT$1,000 vouchers that can be used to pay for their accommodation in Taiwan -- the bureau said.
Visitors who have completed the registration before their trip to Taiwan would receive a confirmation email with a QR code that will be used for the lucky draw, according to the bureau.
After the registered visitors arrive in Taiwan, they should proceed to a dedicated area in the arrival hall of one of the four airports -- Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Songshan Airport, Taichung International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport.
The visitors can then scan the QR code at the dedicated area to take part in the lucky draw and see whether they can win the prize.
The NT$5,000 lucky draw is part of Taiwan's plan to attract 6 million foreign tourists by the end of this year, and 12 million in 2024, which was the original target set for 2019, Wang said.
As of Friday, Taiwan had recorded 1.55 million inbound visitors so far this year, Wang said. According to the Tourism Bureau data, Taiwan attracted a record 11.86 million inbound visitors in 2019.
The incentives and subsidies are part of the government's NT$380 billion post-pandemic economic recovery package approved by lawmakers on March 24.
