TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Tourism Bureau (觀光署) announced on Thursday (Dec. 4) in the Legislative Yuan (行政院), Taiwan's legislative body, plans to launch a domestic travel subsidy program next year. The subsidy will offer weekday accommodation subsidies to boost local tourism, effective April 1, 2026. The Bureau planned to offer NT$800 for the first night and NT$1,200 for a second consecutive night.
Huang Ho-ting (黃荷婷), deputy director General of the Tourism Bureau, said that a birthday accommodation subsidy will start on Jan. 1, 2026. Each month, 1,000 birthday celebrants will receive NT$1,200, benefiting a total of 12,000 individuals throughout the year, with a total budget of NT$14.4 million. The weekday accommodation subsidy, capped at NT$2,000 for two nights, requires prior registration and a lottery system to determine recipients.
Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) suggested that both central and local governments should increase the subsidy to make it more appealing. Transportation Minister Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) responded, stating that after budget approval, the program will launch in March with an estimated budget of NT$2.3 billion. Chen noted that they will strive to examine whether the funding can be further increased.
