Virus Outbreak: Lin unveils plans for third tourism bailout packageBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe government is preparing to roll out a third bailout package for the travel and hotel industries, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect business, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. The package would be used to help service providers that are expected to experience financial difficulties between next month and September, despite switching their focus to the domestic tourism market, he added. The nation has about 3,100 travel agencies, including 260 that provide domestic tours, Tourism Bureau data showed. “They can use this time to change their business models and enhance the competitiveness of domestic tour services in the international travel market,” he added. “Through government subsidies, we want to encourage large travel agencies that used to mainly serve outbound tourists to start promoting high-end domestic tours,” Lin said.

Source: Taipei Times June 08, 2020 15:56 UTC