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Taiwan to relax daily cap on mainland independent travelers

Xinhua, August 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Taiwan has announced it will increase the number of mainland tourists it allows to enter the island from 4,000 to 5,000 a day, after the island saw a slump in tourism data.

Taiwan's financial agency announced that the global spending slowdown resulted in a tourism revenue deficit from April to June.

To boost tourism, at least four measures are being discussed that could attract up to 220,000 more tourists and generate 10.75 billion new Taiwan dollars (330 million U.S. dollars) in tourism profits by the year end, a Taiwan development council official said.

In addition, certain tour groups from five Southeast Asian countries -- India, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam -- could also have their visa fees waived.

The threshold for tax refunds will be lowered from the current 3,000 new Taiwan dollars to 2,000, and the tax-refund process will be streamlined, too, according to the proposed-policy package.

Taiwanese firms are also encouraged to give their overseas employees incentive tours to Taiwan without visa fees and quota restrictions.

The island's budget, accounting and statistics agency last week slashed its GDP growth forecast for 2015 from 3.38 percent projected in May to 1.56 percent due to weaker demand and tougher global competition. Endi