taiwan tourism board freebies

Taiwan Tourist Giveaway: Full Guide & Winning Odds

The Taiwanese government have just introduced an incentive scheme called Lucky Land , with the aim of encouraging tourists to visit their beautiful country from mid 2023 until mid 2025.

Tourists visiting Taiwan between these dates have the chance to win one of 500,000 vouchers worth NT$5,000 (US$162) each on arrival, which can be redeemed during their stay.

When is it Running?

Who is eligible, how to register & claim, lucky land vouchers, what is your chance of winning.

Click link to go to the appropriate section on this p age

The incentive scheme starts at 12:00 noon on May 1st, 2023, and will run until June 30th 2025.

Anyone whose flight arrives in Taiwan between these dates, and has registered for Lucky Land will have a chance of winning.

The 500,000 vouchers will be split up and released in batches each year:

Click Here to Read my Comprehensive Guide to Taipei

Any independent traveller who doesn’t hold a Taiwanese (ROC) passport and is visiting Taiwan for between 3 and 90 days during the period it runs.

An independent traveller is defined as anyone not on a tour group, and have not applied for any group-related travel incentives.

So basically, it’s open to virtually all tourists.

If you’re travelling as a family or in your own group, then each one of you can apply separately – you just need to ensure you use a different email address for each application.

I have also received confirmation from the organisers of the giveaway that there is no minimum age requirement, so you can even use your children’s details – although they’ll need to have their own passport number.

Finally, if you’re visiting Taiwan multiple times during the period of the draw, it’s perfectly fine to re-enter the draw separately on each visit.

Visit their registration website to begin the process.

You can register between 1 and 7 days before your scheduled arrival date in Taiwan. It is not possible to register on the same day as your flight.

You must have already booked your flights before you register, as you’ll need to enter your flight details along with the following:

• Nationality
• Passport Number
• Arrival and Departure Flight Numbers
• Arrival and Departure Dates
• Email Address

You will also need to specify which type of voucher you would like to receive. See the ‘ Lucky Land Vouchers ‘ section below for further details about these.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll be sent a QR code to the specified email address.

When you arrive in Taiwan , make your way to the arrival hall at any of these airports:

• Taoyuan International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)
• Songshan International Airport
• Taichung International Airport
• Kaohsiung International Airport

Locate the Lucky Land prize redemption area ( visit this page for exact locations ) and scan your QR code to see if you’ve won.

If you’re a winner, you’ll need to supply them with the following documents:

• Boarding Pass (don’t throw this away!)
• Electronic Round-Trip Air Ticket

and they will immediately give you your NT$5,000 worth of vouchers!

There are 3 types of vouchers you can receive:

• E-Ticket EasyCard
• E-Ticket iPass
• Accommodation Vouchers

You must specify which type of voucher you want when registering

Both the EasyCard and iPass e-vouchers offer similar incentives. These are smart cards that can be used in many locations, including most types of transportation, convenience stores, some supermarkets, malls and restaurants, and many other attractions including museums and Taipei Zoo.

Click here for a full list of applicable places to use an EasyCard Click here for a full list of applicable places to use an iPass

You are limited by the amount you can spend with these – NT$1,500 for a single purchase and a maximum of NT$3,000 for same-day purchases. The e-voucher card may not be topped up, refunded, or returned, so you should try to use it up.

The Accommodation vouchers can be used to book rooms at participating hotels and B&Bs around Taiwan. You must book your stay from each hotel website (and not a third-party site such as Booking.com).

Click here for a full list of participating hotels along with links for each hotel website

You will be given 5 vouchers worth NT$1,000 each which can be used separately or together.

Which Type of Voucher Should you Get?

I don’t really understand how you can take advantage of the accommodation vouchers as you’ll have most likely already booked your stay, unless you only book your initial stay and keep your options open just in case you win.

If you decide to get the e-vouchers, you won’t have any trouble spending your NT$5,000 quota, even if you’re only in Taiwan for 3 days.

Personally, I would recommend getting an EasyCard as they’re the most widely accepted smart card in Taiwan.

Click here to read my guide on the EasyCard

Before the pandemic struck, Taiwan saw a record number of visitors during 2019 – with almost 12 million tourists.

However, since it’s re-opening in 2022, Taiwan has struggled to get tourists returning – hence why they’ve introduced this scheme, with which they’re hoping to attract up to 6 million tourists during 2023.

Now let’s do some very rough Maths.

Assuming that around 2 millions of these will visit before 1st May, when the tourist incentive scheme isn’t available, and then of the remaining 4 million, maybe half of these aren’t aware of the scheme and don’t register (which is a very conservative estimate), then that leaves 2 million.

If there are 250,000 vouchers available, you have about a 1 in 8 chance of winning. If there are more of you, then those odds will significantly improve.

This is for 2023 only, so in 2024 when there are only 150,000 vouchers available for the entire year, and 2025 when there are only 100,000 vouchers for 6 months, the odds will become worse by up to three-fold.

In other words, try to get to Taiwan in 2023. Not only do you have a good chance of getting some extra spending money, but you’ll also get to enjoy this beautiful country and the many delights it has to offer!

If you have found the information on this page helpful, please take a minute to share this post. Your support would be greatly appreciated :)

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Taiwan Tour Bus “2 people travel, 1 for free” promotion begins in July

 The Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, has launched a new program that integrates 22 Taiwan Tour Bus routes and 83 packaged itineraries. From July 1 to December 31, 2023, if two people are traveling together, one person can travel for free. As the pandemic eases, tourists are welcomed to use this program to rediscover the beauty of Taiwan.

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Taiwan is giving away travel vouchers to 500,000 lucky tourists from May 1

Winners of the draw can pick between stored-value cards or accommodation vouchers worth more than 200 SGD

Taiwan is beloved for its colourful night markets, moreish street food, and stunning national parks. If you’ve been dying to head back, there’s no time like the present because its government is offering NT$5000 (S$210) in travel incentives to 500,000 lucky tourists starting from May 1. 

The scheme is part of the country’s ambitious plan to attract up to six million tourists in 2023. They’ve dedicated NTD 5.3 billion to the scheme, some of which will also be allocated as subsidies of up to NT$50,000 (S$2,170) to local and foreign tour agencies. 

Ready for some revenge travel to Taiwan? Here’s all you need to know about the new travel incentives. 

Who is eligible? 

If you’re a foreign independent traveller, then good news, you’re eligible. That means that you don’t hold a ROC (Republic of China) passport and you’re not travelling to Taiwan as part of a tour group. You must also enter Taiwan legally (of course), and stick around between three to 90 days. 

How do I register for and redeem the vouchers?

The whole scheme is run as a lucky draw. One to seven days before your scheduled arrival in Taiwan, you must log in and register your participation on the campaign website. A lucky draw QR code will be sent to your email address – keep this handy for your arrival in Taiwan. 

Once in Taiwan, head to the event area in the airport’s arrival hall to scan your QR code and complete the lucky draw. If you’re lucky enough to win the draw, you’ll be directed to another prize redemption area to receive your travel incentive. 

Do note, you have to complete the lucky draw and prize redemption on the same day that you land in the country. 

How can the travel incentive be used? 

You can choose to redeem the travel incentive in one of two ways: as a prepaid e-ticket (EasyCard or iPASS card) or as an accommodation voucher. 

The prepaid e-ticket works like a Singapore EZ-Link card, an e-card that you can use on practically any form of public transportation in Taiwan. They also work as electronic wallets which you can use to pay for items at convenience stores like Family Mart and 7-11 or even admission to select attractions like the Taiwan Zoo. 

Anything else I need to know? 

Some important dates to note: website registration starts on April 28 at noon, while the lucky draw starts on May 1 for flights arriving on or after noon. The campaign website will be up soon – stay updated on Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Singapore's Facebook page . 

READ MORE 

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Taiwan to give 500,000 tourists perks worth $220 each to boost economy

TAIPEI – Taiwan will offer 500,000 tourists a cash or discount incentive this year as it tries to shore up its post-pandemic travel industry and boost spending. 

The incentives, worth NT$5,000 (S$220) each, were announced on Thursday as part of a NT$5.3 billion package to attract international tourists. 

While some details were not yet available, including whether there were any eligibility requirements or how people would be chosen, officials said in a statement that the money may be handed out electronically or as discounts for accommodation. 

“We hope to accelerate and expand efforts for international tourists to come to Taiwan,” Mr Lin Fu-shan, department director of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, said at a press briefing. The spending plan also included a proposal to offer travel agencies NT$10,000 each for groups of at least eight tourists, and NT$20,000 each for groups of at least 15 tourists.

Taiwan is looking for ways to boost its economy after removing Covid-19 curbs in 2022. Growth is expected to slow in 2023 as the trade-dependent island struggles with a dropoff in exports, making it more important to spur activity through domestic demand and tourism.

Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 4 per cent of Taiwan’s gross domestic product, according to Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau. 

But visits came to a near-standstill as Taiwan closed its borders and implemented quarantine rules to contain the virus.

Geopolitical tensions have also chilled the industry, as China banned individual tourists travelling to Taiwan in 2019, and in January left the island off a list of 20 permitted destinations for Chinese tour groups.

Taiwan has taken some steps to welcome visitors, including reopening its borders to individual travellers from Hong Kong and Macau in February. The government wants to attract six million tourists in 2023, Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai said earlier.

After reopening last October, Taiwan attracted nearly 900,000 tourists in 2022, according to a statement from Taiwan’s Transportation Ministry.

The tourism announcement was part of a larger NT$380 billion stimulus package that was approved via a special act by lawmakers this week. Lawmakers still need to sign off on where all of the funds are used specifically.

Other parts of that plan – paid for using surplus tax revenue – include allocating funds for use by the state-owned Taiwan Power Company and health insurance system. 

That broader package has been in the works for a while, but Thursday was the first time officials detailed several of the specifics, including the plan for tourists. Officials are expected to release more details in the afternoon.

Taiwan’s campaign comes as others in the region also roll out initiatives to attract tourists. The “Hello Hong Kong” campaign, for example, involves giving out 500,000 air tickets among other perks.  BLOOMBERG

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Taiwan Tourist Board Freebies - Taiwan Forum

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Must i wait til days before the trip before i go and collect or can i go down anytime when i'm free.

Also, what will i need to bring along with me and is there a age limit to the freebies since there's a child coming along too...

Thanks!! :D

Help pls? :D

Hi Check out this thread: Also it is better to get your freebies only after you got confirmed ticket etc:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293910-i9303-k5135613-o10-Freebies_from_Taiwan_Tourism_Association-Taiwan.html

collect your freebies sometime after October. I went recently to collect also, but latest freebies expiry in Sept(bus voucher from Taoyuan airport toTaipei city), thus the staff advice me to collect after Oct since I am also travelling in Dec.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Any idea if there's anymore such promos now ?

Sorry, couldnt seem to find the website for the Taiwan tourism Association in Singapore.

http://www.welcome2taiwan.net/en/index.html no singapore website. location at raffles place's chevron house lvl 10. u can find it on the website. freebies is night market coupon NTD100 n 1 national palace museum per pax. this promotion is ends on feb.

What about march?

You have to wait till they announce in their website.

i am gg in feb and got the NTD100 voucher+museum entrance. You can try calling them to ask if there is any freebies for march. their contact no: 65-6223-6546 / 7

Address： 5 Shenton Way, 31-11, UIC Building, Singapore 068808

Tel： +65-6223-6546/7

Fax： +65-6225-4616

E-mail： [email protected]

Is anyone out there know how to get the freebies?

Do i need to go personally to get it?

Can i can get someone on behalf to get the freebies for me and my travell buddies??

Here's the new address:

Address: 30 Raffles Place, #10-01, Chevron House, Singapore 048622

Phone: 65-6223-6546 / 7

Fax: 65-6225-4616

Email: [email protected]

P.S. Freebies aside, be sure to grab as many maps, printed materials U can handle!

And change as much SGD to TWD U want @ The Arcade next door!

Happy planning, fellow Taiwan traveler!

TaipeiAlive :-)

http://taipeidreams.com

Thanks for the update on the TVA address-

I've just called them and they are giving away the MRT Card ( Easy Card) as free gift.Just bring air ticket booking and accomdation confirmation slip :)

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Taiwan Tourism Bureau in SG is giving away "One-way Taoyuan Airport to Taipei MRT Voucher"

Terms & conditions: Redemption is based on a first-come, first-served basis, while stocks last. Please collect the vouchers at Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s office at 10 Collyer Quay, #06-03 Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315 during our operating hours from Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM.

Travelers please bring along the following documents in hard copy: 1. HOTEL CONFIRMATION for your accommodation in Taiwan. (Airbnb, homestay, resort, hotel and hostel bookings are acceptable.) 2. E-TICKET (showing the flight booking number and the name/s of passenger/s) for flights departing from Singapore only.

You may request someone to collect on your behalf but please ask him/her to bring a photocopy of the above-mentioned documents. We regret to inform you that we do not send freebies via post/courier.

Please be reminded that ONE BOOKING REFERENCE NUMBER can ONLY be redeemed once. Previous freebies are non-exchangeable. Thank you.

Grab it while stocks last!

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SG Taiwan Tourism Bureau - Free Gifts

• Thread starter YNWA15
• Start date Oct 6, 2022

More options

Junior member.

• Oct 6, 2022

Hihi, SG office for Taiwan Tourism Bureau used to give out free gifts for those who booked Taiwan trip. Any idea whether they are still/will be giving out free gifts with the re-opening now?  

Master Member

i never know got such thing at all  

ApeTruelove

YNWA15 said: Hihi, SG office for Taiwan Tourism Bureau used to give out free gifts for those who booked Taiwan trip. Any idea whether they are still/will be giving out free gifts with the re-opening now? Click to expand...

ZeroTear said: i never know got such thing at all Click to expand...

Arch-Supremacy Member

• Oct 7, 2022

Maybe they give free ART kits....  

Senior Member

3 or 4 years back yes, i remember i gotten some fruit plantation visit voucher  

• Oct 9, 2022

2015 they gave their "ez-link" card. 2019 i dont remember much cause it wasnt worth remembering... i know i asked, it's either a discounted museum tic or something even less useful  

• Oct 10, 2022

They responded to my queries on FB messaging, ask me to stay tuned for any announcements on freebies.  

• Oct 13, 2022

• Oct 17, 2022

need apply visa to visit taiwan for singaporean ?? how much ??  

luckyplate said: need apply visa to visit taiwan for singaporean ?? how much ?? Click to expand...

High Supremacy Member

• Oct 21, 2022

Great Supremacy Member

• Nov 3, 2022

Suporter said: Maybe they give free ART kits.... Click to expand...

vspecll_gtr

• Nov 8, 2022

now to Taiwan, need to have any declarations? like vaccination status etc? or nothing required? Thanks in advance!  

• Nov 14, 2022

vspecll_gtr said: now to Taiwan, need to have any declarations? like vaccination status etc? or nothing required? Thanks in advance! Click to expand...

Honorary Member

• Nov 15, 2022

jonesftw said: https://www.cdc.gov.tw/ArrivalQuarantine/info_en_1013.html Click to expand...

white_prince

• Nov 23, 2022

Visited Tourism board today, no freebies for the time being  

Windowlover

• Dec 10, 2022

Yep, MRT card was the gift of those days... love the culture there.  

white_prince said: Visited Tourism board today, no freebies for the time being Sian... gg On monday Click to expand...

• Dec 14, 2022

they just updated they have a fresh cut fruit voucher, check their FB page for more info.  

Arizona’s economy is booming. But Biden struggles to reap benefits from voters

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Aaron McDonald thinks back to when he came to Maricopa County nearly 20 years ago as a young ironworker hoping to get work building a new football stadium.

Driving in from Wyoming for the first time, he was struck by the overwhelming desert expanse that surrounded Phoenix.

Today, those sweeping vistas are dotted with industrial development that is transforming Arizona’s economy. A region that was devastated by the 2008 financial crisis is teeming with massive projects under construction, fueled in part by President Biden’s signature legislative accomplishments aimed at rebooting American semiconductor production.

“There was a shooting range there. It was the Wild West and now there’s a giant chip factory out there,” said McDonald, who now trains union ironworkers, referring to an enormous complex of plants being built in northern Phoenix by TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. “The growth, to me, just really doesn’t seem like it’s gonna slow down at anytime. We know we have Biden to thank for this work.”

The question for Biden’s reelection team is whether enough voters in this battleground state will feel the same way in November.

His administration has awarded billions of dollars to companies such as Intel and TSMC and hopes that the enormous investments in green technology and semiconductors can make a difference in a state where Biden bested President Trump by a mere 10,000 votes in 2020.

Arizona and Nevada make up 3% of the U.S. population — and are vital to picking a president

As Biden trails Trump in polls of Arizona and Nevada — states he won in 2020 — voters in the Western battlegrounds speak out on the candidates’ November rematch.

March 17, 2024

But recent polling points to the challenges in winning over those voters.

The Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the CHIPS and Science Act will ultimately send about $24 billion to Arizona, according to data compiled by the White House .

But a majority of Americans recently surveyed nationally said they didn’t know enough to say whether the Inflation Reduction Act helped or hurt them in the two years since its passage, according to recent polling from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. And a majority of registered voters in Arizona thought Trump was “more trusted” than Biden to address the economy and immigration, a recent Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll found.

TSMC has committed to spending $65 billion in the state building facilities in the next decade, on top of the roughly $11 billion in loans and grants it recently received from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The company has said its new facilities, when completed, will create 6,000 permanent and roughly 20,000 temporary jobs.

“When you drive to the north, or you drive to the south, you see what my wife calls the cranes of prosperity. And they are very prominent,” said Zachary Holman, an engineering professor at Arizona State University.

Intel is similarly expanding its footprint in Arizona, where it had been pulling back its presence as recently as a decade ago. It received about $10 billion from the Commerce Department, adding to the nearly $20 billion it plans to spend to expand its presence.

But with many of the new jobs arriving years in the future, more immediate concerns such as soaring rents, rising consumer prices and the crisis at the Arizona-Mexico border are capturing most of the attention.

Trump and his allies hope things stay that way, even as they wrestle with voter anger over the state Supreme Court decision banning virtually all abortions. The Legislature voted to undo the law with some Republican support.

“Arizona voters are ready to turn out for President Donald J. Trump this November,” said Rachel Lee, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. “Joe Biden is losing in the state, and he knows it. Despite Biden’s best attempts to gaslight voters, they know exactly who is to blame for soaring costs, a spiraling border crisis, and staggering crime rates across the country.”

Kevin Hartke, the Republican mayor of nearby Chandler, said the investment in his city has been a godsend, while noting that it has been a bipartisan boost across multiple administrations — making it hard for Biden to own this growth exclusively.

“Your common person here is going to complain more about the cost of gasoline, the effect of inflation and certainly the housing crisis,” Hartke said. “I think those areas where there is more of ‘this hits me’ concerns as people struggle to keep up with those kind of growing prices.”

In addition to expanding semiconductor production, the money has gone toward renovating Phoenix’s airport, expanding the 10 Freeway through the region and planting more trees in the city.

“The last four years have been transformational for Phoenix,” said Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat. “We are going to have a more diverse high-wage economy for a generation because of Biden. My job is to help people appreciate the change we’re going through and how it means that they will have more opportunities to stay here.”

This showering of money didn’t seem to register for Gabi Zander, 34, who was at a recent farmers market with her mother in Phoenix’s Uptown neighborhood. Zander, who has lived in the area for more than a decade and works in marketing, said she is focused on the rising cost of living and the war in Gaza.

The recent ruling banning virtually all abortions in the state, since overturned, angered her. But the larger state of politics has her down and she’s unsure she’ll even vote.

“I just wish politicians would spend more time thinking about how to make the city more livable and get more funding for teachers,” Zander said. “I wish they would leave us alone.”

An Emerson College poll showed Biden trailing Trump in Arizona 44% to 40%, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 9%. A more recent poll from Data Orbital, a Phoenix analytics and survey firm, found Biden and Trump at 38% with Kennedy at 14%.

The Biden campaign has identified some combination of Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia as essential to the president’s reelection.

In 2020, Biden became the first Democrat to win in Arizona since President Clinton in 1996. The last Democrat to prevail here before that was President Truman in 1948.

The state has been a player in semiconductors for decades, with Intel’s presence dating back nearly 40 years.

Companies say they are able to produce these chips far more cheaply in places like Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, but the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging tensions with China have led government and private-sector officials to revive domestic production. This was the impetus for the $52-billion CHIPS and Science Act, which Biden signed in the summer of 2022. (CHIPS stands for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors.)

Much of the money — $39 billion — will come in the form of grants and tax breaks to Intel and other companies. The other $13 billion will go to research and training.

Arizona was a natural destination thanks to its open spaces and affordable land, favorable business climate and the fact that many of these companies already had a presence in the region. Intel and TSMC had already committed billions to construct new manufacturing facilities before they received government grants and tax breaks in the last year.

“Some of these companies were starting to move” to the region, said Eelco Bergman, the chief business officer of Saras Micro Devices. “I think where things like the CHIPS Act helped is they took that spark and threw some kindling on the flame.”

Bergman and his partners have relocated their manufacturing facility to be close to Intel’s facility in Chandler. Saras is spending close to $200 million on upgrading a building and purchasing the equipment to produce components that can be sold to semiconductor manufacturers, Bergman said.

The business ecosystem is thriving, he added, because of heavy investment and being in close proximity to schools like Arizona State University, which graduates 7,000 engineering students a year. Intel hires more people from ASU than any other school in the country, and there’s a shortage of people skilled in the disciplines necessary to work in these industries, according to the company.

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However the politics ultimately play out, the region has seen a monumental shift from an economy based in real estate and tourism into one heavily layered with future-facing manufacturing. Some of the investment predated Biden, but it was supercharged during his term.

“No one is getting total credit for the big picture of the success story ... because it’s happened over such a long period of time,” said Rep. Greg Stanton, a Democrat and former Phoenix mayor. “The more interesting political question is, in the short run who gets credit for the United States finally having an industrial policy that’s been missing for such a long period of time where we finally respond to the challenge that is China?

“I think President Biden is going to get appropriate credit for that. Arizona has and will better benefit from the CHIPS and Science Act than any other state,” Stanton said.

Ironworkers like those McDonald is training are bouncing from job site to job site, watching outsize warehouses and manufacturing sites rise from the desert. The work is dangerous and can be chaotic, but it’s creating a future for people like Shawna Irwin, 25, who is originally from the Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona.

Her late uncle — an ironworker — inspired her to enter the field. She later enrolled in a training program sponsored by the Ironworkers Local 75 and run by McDonald. The roughly four-year program — sometimes called the University of Iron — has ballooned to nearly 250 ironworkers who get supplemental training as they continue to work on job sites. McDonald would like to be training 500 ironworkers at the facility he manages by 2026.

“It opened a lot of doors for the unions,” Irwin said, “and for us there was a lot more work because of [Biden] funding the chip plants.”

More to Read

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Benjamin Oreskes covers state and national politics for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, he covered City Hall, homelessness and wrote the Essential California newsletter. Before coming to The Times in February 2017, he covered foreign policy at Politico in Washington, D.C.

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