The Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of China announced on the 2nd of May its efforts to boost tourism in Hualien. In terms of independent travel accommodation, they have rolled out a subsidy scheme where for stays from Monday to Thursday in Hualien, each room will be subsidized by NT$1,000, while for stays from Friday to Sunday, the subsidy will be NT$500. For Taitung, the subsidy will be NT$1,000 for stays from Monday to Thursday. This program is scheduled to take effect on July 1st and will last for three months.
In response to the devastating earthquake that struck near Hualien on April 3rd, causing severe damage to transportation infrastructure in the region, the Ministry of Transportation released a press release on the 2nd of May outlining the “0403 Earthquake Recovery and Reconstruction Plan” that was approved during an executive meeting of the Cabinet. Apart from emergency repairs to transportation facilities, the Ministry has also planned post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work amounting to NT$5.3 billion, covering repairs and reconstruction of transportation and tourism facilities, temporary housing for affected residents, and the promotion of the tourism industry, all aimed at assisting in the post-disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts in Hualien.
The Taiwan Ministry of Transportation stated that nearly NT$4 billion will be invested in the comprehensive renovation of the railway system, including the eastern section of Route 8 (within Hualien’s jurisdiction), Route 9 (Suhua Highway), western section of Route 8 (Taichung and Pingtung District), as well as improvement projects for auxiliary facilities and slopes; earthquake prediction information for Taiwan Railway trains will be integrated with train protection systems, earthquake early warning sensors, repairs and construction of embankments along the Yilan-Hualien section, and landslide prevention projects for the Beihui Line.
In terms of tourism promotion measures, the Tourism Bureau of the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation has introduced financing and credit guarantees for the accommodation industry, discounts for independent travel accommodation, subsidies for group tours, Taiwan PASS-Railway General Edition, expansion of Taiwan Good Travel and Guanba operations, encouragement for overseas charter flight passengers to visit Hualien, filming and promotion of safe and beautiful travel videos in Hualien, and timely addition of tourist trains, with an investment exceeding NT$1.3 billion.
Regarding the subsidies for independent travel accommodation, the Ministry of Transportation is providing subsidies for legal accommodations in Hualien and Taitung. For Hualien, there will be a subsidy of NT$1,000 for stays from Monday to Thursday, and NT$500 for stays from Friday to Sunday; for Taitung, there will be a NT$1,000 subsidy for stays from Monday to Thursday. As for the subsidy for group tours, travel agencies organizing tours of 2 days and 1 night or more (excluding holidays exceeding 1 day) with over 20 participants staying in Hualien will receive a maximum subsidy of NT$20,000, while those staying in Taitung will receive a maximum subsidy of NT$15,000.
Each travel agency can apply for a maximum of 5 tours. Moreover, the integration of Taiwan Railway’s “Taiwan PASS-Railway General Edition” for domestic and foreign passengers will offer a “2-for-1” promotion. It is also planned that starting from June 1st, the Taiwan Good Travel Eastern line will be free, and Guanba will offer a 20% discount in the Hualien area. To encourage overseas charter flight passengers to visit Hualien, subsidies will be provided for charter flight expenses for transporting 50 foreign passengers, with varying incentive amounts based on different markets, aiming to boost the development of the tourism industry in the Hualien and Taitung regions.
Regarding the financing and credit guarantees for the accommodation industry, assistance will be provided for accommodations to obtain capital financing and working capital loans smoothly. Accommodation establishments can apply for capital financing and working capital loans from lending financial institutions within 1 year from the date of the disaster; for capital financing, hotels can receive up to NT$30 million, while homestays can receive up to NT$4 million; for working capital, hotels can receive up to NT$10 million, and homestays can receive up to NT$3 million.
In terms of the placement of residents affected by the disaster, the Hualien County Government has announced a list of accommodation establishments assisting in the resettlement of affected households. The subsidy will cover the housing costs for accommodation providers, allowing affected households in need to stay free of charge on a monthly rental basis, with a subsidy principle of one room per household, with rates set at NT$32,000 for a double room and NT$44,000 for a quadruple room per month.
The Taiwan Ministry of Transportation emphasized that the recent earthquake severely impacted transportation infrastructure, particularly with the collapse and rockfall obstruction of the Taiwan Railway line between Jiaoxi and Fenglin in Hualien, as well as the collapse and demolition of the North Entrance Bridge of the Daqing Water Tunnel on the Suhua Highway. This led to the interruption of both rail and road traffic from Taipei to the east. To address the emergency situation caused by the disruption of land transportation in the eastern region, the Ministry promptly activated maritime transportation connections, with the port authorities urgently deploying rapid ferries from Taipei and coordinating with the Lienchiang County Government to mobilize the New Taiwan Horse ferries for transportation relief.
At the same time, the Civil Aeronautics Administration of Taiwan coordinated with airlines such as Mandarin Airlines and Uni Air to operate over a dozen additional flights during the Qingming Festival peak period, continuing to shuttle passengers between Hualien and Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. The Taiwan Railway Administration made every effort to repair the disaster blockade, successfully resuming dual-track bi-directional traffic on April 4th to alleviate travel to and from the eastern region and returning home for ancestral tomb sweeping visits; the Highway Bureau actively worked to clear the way, with Routes 8 and 9 reopened for traffic on April 7th.
In the future, the Ministry of Transportation, along with other government departments, will listen attentively to the needs of local governments and affected individuals, collaboratively promoting post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work that benefits local revitalization and development projects; and will continue to work hand in hand with local authorities to implement comprehensive recovery and reconstruction measures to provide the public with the most immediate, sufficient, and timely assistance with warmth and resilience, aiding disaster victims in rebuilding their homes, promoting recovery and stabilizing public morale.