To help Taiwan’s travel sector recover from the pandemic, the Tourism Bureau has launched a travel subsidy program, allowing individual travelers staying at a hotel to receive a subsidy of up to NT$1,300 a night. FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to a travel expert for tips on how to get the cheapest deal while still staying in a quality hotel.

It’s summer vacation, which means it’s peak tourist season. Many hotels are looking for creative ways to attract patrons. The Tourism Bureau on July 15 launched a travel subsidy program allowing individual travelers staying at a hotel to receive a subsidy of up to NT$1,300 per room per night. What is the most cost-effective way to travel? This travel expert has some tips for families and individual travelers.

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Travel writer
Let’s talk about small family travelers and independent travelers first. For small families, there are two ways. The first way is if you have received three doses of the vaccine, you can apply for an additional subsidy. With this extra NT$500, one person can get a subsidy of up to NT$1,300 per night. If you haven’t gotten your third dose, it’s OK, you can choose other options. For example, Taiwan Host Association B&Bs or star-level hotels. This way, you can still receive the extra subsidy of NT$500. It’s the same – NT$500 plus NT$800, which is equal to NT$1,300 per person per night. You can decide which one you want to use. I suggest that a small family can stay for 3 days and 2 nights. Member A can apply for a double room on the first night. Member B can apply for a double room on the second night. In this way, you can receive a subsidy for 3 days and 2 nights.

For those interested in traveling to Taiwan’s outlying islands, she suggests that a group of six people go together. A group of 6 people can get a subsidy of NT$20,000, which can basically cover the air tickets.

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Travel writer
I strongly suggest that small families form a small group of six. Because if a small group of six goes to the outlying islands, they can get a subsidy of NT$20,000. In this case, NT$20,000 divided by six people, is equivalent to about NT$3,000, which is your air ticket to the outlying islands. If you choose some bonus options, for example, if you hire a local tour guide, participate in water activities, or travel on weekdays, you can apply for an extra subsidy of NT$10,000 for six people. If you get a subsidy of NT$30,000, it is equivalent to free air tickets and accommodation.

Many hotels are offering deals all around Taiwan during the peak summer tourist season. But how do you determine the quality of the hotel and what are some things to look out for?

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Travel writer
Now, everyone knows that you need to read reviews online to choose a hotel, but reviews can have quite a few errors. There are many misunderstandings. For example, some restaurants or stores will set some conditions. For example, if you give them five stars on a Google review, they will give you discounts or small gifts. This tends to cause errors in the reviews, so I will give you some tips on how to read them. I recommend that you don’t just look at one review from one platform. For example, go to Google reviews, and then go to hotels.com, Expedia, and booking.com. Check out all of them, especially the negative reviews.

With COVID slowly waning in Taiwan and restrictions loosened, the travel industry is eager for more people to tour the nation. Locals and tourists are hungry for travel, but make sure to choose your accommodations wisely to ensure a pleasant vacation.