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Taiwan Introduces Plan to Attract Tourists — by Paying Them

The new incentive program comes as the government aims to draw in six million tourists in 2023 and then 10 million tourists by 2025.

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Taiwan is looking to boost its tourism numbers, and will hand out cash to visitors as an incentive to come.

The island will hand out NT $5,000 (or about $166) to 500,000 individual tourists along with up to NT $20,000 (or about $667) to 90,000 tour groups, CNN reported . The money will be given out digitally after tourists arrive, according to the Taipei Times , and can be used to cover expenses while in Taiwan , including for food or accommodation.

However, travelers looking to plan a trip may want to hold tight since it was not immediately clear when the money would be issued or how to apply for it, according to CNN .

“The money will be given out through multiple tourism promotion events this year, rather than giving it all out at once,” Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung said, according to the Taipei Times . “As such, not all international tourists would receive it.“

The new incentive program comes as the government aims to draw in six million tourists in 2023 and then 10 million tourists by 2025, CNN noted.

Transport Minister Wang Kuo-tsai said the island hopes to use the incentive to bring in visitors from key markets, including Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macao, Europe, and America.

Taiwan welcomes travelers, including from the United States, without the need to test for COVID-19 before their trip, according to the American Institute in Taiwan . The country also dropped quarantine rules in October and eased mask rules in December.

Taiwan isn’t the first destination to pay tourists to visit. In 2021, Malta introduced a scheme to pay tourists to stay in hotels there, and last year, a region in Italy’s northeastern corner chose to cover traveler’s train fare in an effort to promote sustainable travel.

On the other hand, several destinations have introduced plans to collect tourist fees , including Thailand , Venice , and Europe as a whole.

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Taiwan to pay tourists to visit

Looking for a bargain long-haul trip this year? Head to Taiwan, where plans are afoot to actually pay travelers to come over.

Taiwanese officials are looking to offer a financial incentive of 5,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $164) per traveler or NT$20,000 ($654) for group tours in a bid to help boost flagging tourist levels.

Some half a million foreign vacationgoers are set to benefit from the plan, which was designed to help the government reach its goal of 6 million visitors by year's end.

Taiwan only fully reopened its borders last October due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has subsequently failed to attract even a tenth of the number of tourists compared to years prior. As a result, officials are now spending money to make money.

How will it work?

Chang Shi-chung, director-general of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, said the financial package will be sent digitally to a type of tourist card, ensuring all the cash will go directly back into the country's tourism sector.

"International tourists who are given NT$5,000 will not receive it until they arrive," Chang explained. "It will be stored in an electronic ticketing card, which can be used to pay for food, accommodation and other travel expenses during their time here."

Related: Taiwan's Starlux Airlines will start flying to the US in April

There's still no information on when or where these cash amounts will be handed over to travelers, just that it will be distributed via a number of "promotional events" this year.

The very fact we're writing this, and you're reading this, means, at least on the marketing side of things, Taiwan has found a smart way to tell the world that it's open for business. Whether this will translate into the 10 million tourists it hopes to snare by 2025 remains to be seen.

It's not the first Asian destination to throw money at dwindling tourist numbers either. Last month, Hong Kong revealed it was giving away half a million free airline tickets in a bid to win back visitors in a project dubbed "Hello Hong Kong."

How far will the cash amount go?

Pretty far, actually. Living costs in this part of Asia are cheaper than in many of its bigger neighbors; a weeklong escape could cost you less than the same time spent in many European destinations.

In Taiwan's capital Taipei, you can find five-star hotel rooms for about $84 per night in June for two people. Although perhaps a truer reflection of how far your dollars will go is via the "Big Mac index," which has the hallowed meat sandwich priced at $2.50 in Taiwan compared to the average cost of $6.05 in the U.S. — (junk) food for thought.

Why has Taiwan's tourism dried up?

The move comes at a time of increasing uncertainty in a travel market still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Annual visitor numbers were around 11.8 million before the pandemic but had dwindled to just 9,000 last year.

This could have a dramatic toll on businesses, including hotels, airlines, restaurants and leisure companies throughout the country.

Another possible reason for a dwindling travel market could be escalating tensions between China and Taiwan. The tensions have prompted warnings from the U.S. to China against a possible invasion.

Just this week, 25 Chinese warplanes and three warships were spotted off Taiwan's mainland in the latest provocation to cause geopolitical ripple effects.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't visit Taiwan — far from it. The U.S. Department of State gives Taiwan a " Level 1 " travel advisory, which advises "normal precautions" for travel.

Bottom line

Let's be honest, unless you had already planned to explore this delightful corner of Asia in 2023, a $164 subsidy probably won't be enough to sway you into paying a visit when a flight could cost three or four times that.

However, if you aren't one of the half a million tourists to benefit from the campaign, you can console yourself with incredible food and scenery.

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Taiwan is paying people to come visit

The government is also offering cash incentives to hotels to get more workers in the hospitality business.

By Sarah Gambles

If you’ve ever wanted to visit Taiwan, now might be your perfect opportunity. The Asian country is offering a cash incentive to tourists who come.

Taiwan’s government is offering $165 to up to 500,000 individual tourists to increase tourism to the island. Taiwan’s Premier Chen Chien-jen announced that the government hopes “to attract six million tourists in 2023, doubling that figure in 2024 and aiming for 10 million visitors by 2025,” CNN Travel reported.

Tour groups could receive up to $658.

“The money will be given out through multiple tourism promotion events this year, rather than giving it all out at once,” Taiwan Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung said, per Taipei Times . “As such, not all international tourists would receive it.“

To address hotel work shortages, the government also announced it would provide monthly cash incentives for each new staff member hired, per Taipei Times .

The announcement did not include how to apply or when the incentive would start.

Do other countries offer cash incentives to visit?

Taiwan is not the first place to offer a cash incentive to come visit. In 2021, Malta announced it would “pay each visitor who books a three-night stay directly with select three- to five-star hotels on a scaled basis,” according to Travel + Leisure .

Malta offered to pay $119 per person for every five-star booking, $89 for 4-star hotels and $60 to each visitor staying at a three-star hotel.

Hong Kong announced earlier this month it would cover airfare for 500,000 tourists.

Here’s how to apply for the free Hong Kong flights

The flight giveaways will take place in three rounds, as follows:

• March 1: Southeast Asians can apply for tickets.
• April 1: Mainland China residents can apply.
• May 1: All international tourists can apply for the tickets.
• July 1: Hong Kong residents can apply for the “make up for lost travel time” flights the government is offering to locals, according to CNN .

Taiwan will pay you to come visit in an effort to woo back tourists

People might be traveling again after the pandemic, but prohibitively high airfares are keeping them away from areas that used to be tourist destinations. Now, one of those is fighting back.

Taiwan will offer the U.S. equivalent of $165 to a half-million tourists, part of a multimillion-dollar program to attract visitors to the island. Visitors will have the option of receiving the money via electronic transfer or through discounts.

Tour groups of eight or more are being wooed with incentives of up to $658.

$165 might not sound like a lot, but given the strength of the U.S. dollar in Taiwan, it could stretch a fair way. The average hotel in the country costs just $67 per night , by some estimates (depending on where you stay). Meals can run for under $5 . And many attractions are free.

The incentives come after Taiwan saw less than 1 million visitors come to the country last year. Compare that to nearly 12 million in 2019, which was a record. The disparity was due to the country closing its borders until last October , as part of COVID protocols. The country has also suffered as China has not yet included it on a list of permitted destinations for tour groups.

Before you book your trip, though, it’s worth noting that the government hasn’t yet announced when the promotion will begin.

Taiwan’s not the only country in the region desperately trying to win back tourists. Hong Kong recently announced plans to give out a half-million plane tickets to the country. Those tickets will be released via a lottery in three waves, starting next month.

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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 plans to pay tourists to visit

Some international visitors are set to receive a payment card after their arrival, article bookmarked.

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Taiwan has unveiled plans to pay tourists to visit.

Taiwan’s premier Chen Chien-jen announced the scheme at a news conference last week, outlining that his government aims to welcome at least six million tourists this year and 10 million annual visitors by 2025.

The new initiative aims to boost post-pandemic foreign tourists after they fell to under 900,000 in 2022, compared to 11.8 million in 2019.

Half a million tourists will be offered 5,000 New Taiwan dollars (£136), while 90,000 tour groups will receive 20,000 New Taiwan dollars (£544).

Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung has explained that tourists will only receive the financial incentive after their arrival in the country, and it’s set to be distributed at promotional opportunities throughout the year.

“The money will be given out through multiple tourism promotion events this year, rather than giving it all out at once,” Mr Chang said, highlighting: “As such, not all international tourists would receive it.”

“International tourists who are given NT$5,000 will not receive it until they arrive,” Mr Chang added.

The money will be loaded up on a payment card and it can help contribute to travel costs.

“It will be stored in an electronic ticketing card, which can be used to pay for food, accommodation and other travel expenses during their time here,” Mr Chang said.

It’s expected that both domestic and international travel agences will be provided with additional incentives to help improve Taiwan tourism.

The sharp decline in visitor numbers is due to Covid restrictions and Taiwan’s border only fully reopening in October 2022.

Chairman of the High-Quality of Travel Association, Ringo Lee, said: “Compared with nearby countries , we are relatively late in reopening the borders for international tourists and have fewer means to conduct international tourism marketing.”

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Fri, Feb 24, 2023 page3

Cabinet approves subsidy to attract foreign tourists, over nt$5bn earmarked: the program would be funded with last year’s tax surplus and be part of efforts to entice 6 million foreigners to travel to taiwan.

• By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a Tourism Bureau proposal to allocate NT$5.3 billion (US$174.31 million) from last year’s surplus tax revenue to attract international tourists in the next three years.

The bureau has funding to distribute the money — NT$5,000 each — to 500,000 international visitors, bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) told a news conference at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei.

“The money will be given out through multiple tourism promotion events this year, rather than giving it all out at once,” Chang said. “As such, not all international tourists would receive it.“

Travelers walk through a terminal at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in an undated photograph.

Photo courtesy of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

“International tourists who are given NT$5,000 will not receive it until they arrive,” he said. “It will be stored in an electronic ticketing card, which can be used to pay for food, accommodation and other travel expenses during their time here.”

The bureau would also offer incentives for domestic and overseas travel agencies to bring international tourists to Taiwan, Chang said.

A tour group from overseas would receive a subsidy of NT$10,000 if it has eight to 14 members and NT$20,000 if it has more members, he said, adding that there was enough money for 90,000 groups.

To address staffing shortages in the hotel industry, the government would help pay the salaries of new hotel employees, he said.

“Hoteliers will receive a bonus of NT$5,000 per month for each new staff member they hire,” Chang said. “It will help raise the monthly salary of entry-level hotel employees in Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Keelung and New Taipei City to NT$33,000 or more.”

“Hotel employees in other administrative regions would see their monthly salaries rise to or above NT$31,000,” he added.

The bonus could continue for up to one year, he said, adding that employers must not lower the salaries once the funding ends.

The bureau is planning to focus on attracting tourists from Japan, South Korea, Europe, North America and target countries of the New Southbound Policy, Chang said.

The 18 countries defined in the policy are: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The goal is to attract 6 million international tourists this year, Chang said.

High-Quality of Travel Association chairman Ringo Lee (李奇嶽) said that the government should ensure that more sectors can benefit from the cash distribution to international tourists.

“The government should strive to have more international tourists visit central, southern and eastern Taiwan, not just the north,” Lee said.

While it is important to offer incentives for overseas travel agencies to organize tour groups to Taiwan, the government should also encourage them to stay in hotels and hire tour buses run by Taiwanese operators, he said.

“The number of Taiwanese traveling overseas has far exceeded the number of inbound tourists,” Lee said.

“Compared with nearby countries, we are relatively late in reopening the borders for international tourists and have fewer means to conduct international tourism marketing,” he added.

The government should also restart all cross-strait flight routes, which would boost inbound and outbound tours, he said.

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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said the payment to international tourists has been approved. This has been corrected.

MANILA, Philippines – Revenge travel season doesn’t get any better than this! Taiwan’s government is considering the tourism bureau’s plans to provide monetary allowances to international tourists, as reported by Taipei Times on February 23.

The proposal is an allowance of NT$5,000 per person (approximately P9,000) will be given to 500,000 tourists when they travel to the country, as a way to boost Taiwan’s tourism.

Additionally, those traveling in groups can also receive cash incentives from the government. Groups of 8 to 14 tourists can receive NT$10,000 (around P17,900), and groups with more members can receive NT$20,000 (around P35,800). Up to 90,000 groups can enjoy the allowances.

Tourists chosen to have allowances will receive the amount upon arriving in Taiwan. Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung explained that the stipend will be provided digitally.

“It will be stored in an electronic ticketing card, which can be used to pay for food, accommodation, and other travel expenses during their time here,” Chang said.

Chang noted that the money will not be given all at once to travelers but will be distributed throughout multiple tourism promotion events.  

The bureau’s plans are in line with Taiwan’s goal of boosting tourism, with a target of welcoming 6 million international visitors in 2023. The program has an allocated budget of NT$5.3 billion (P9.5 billion). The bureau is primarily targeting to attract tourists from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America. 

Filipinos are also qualified to receive the incentives as the program covers countries under Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy. Other eligible countries include Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and many more. 

On Friday afternoon, March 3, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines told Rappler that as of this writing, the proposal was still under review and has not been finalized yet. The official guidelines will be posted on its official website once confirmed. – with reports from Charlene Enriquez/Rappler.com

Charlene Enriquez is a Rappler intern.

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Taiwan government is giving away NT$5,000 travel vouchers to tourists

Here's everything you need to know

Planning for a trip to Taiwan? Well, you're in luck as the Taiwan government has just announced that they will be dishing out travel vouchers (much like our consumption voucher scheme , but travel edition) with the aim to boost tourism and attract foreign visitors to the country. Here's what you need to know:

What is it?

Starting May 1, 2023 (12pm), the Taiwan Tourism Bureau will be distributing 500,000 vouchers worth NT$5,000 each (approximately HK$1,280) as travel incentives for tourists visiting Taiwan. The vouchers will be given out through a lucky draw system and will run all the way through to June 30, 2025. The first 250,000 vouchers will be given out in 2023, while the remaining 150,000 vouchers will be distributed in 2024, and 100,000 vouchers in 2025.

Who is eligible?

Independent travellers who do not hold a ROC (Republic of China) passport and are staying in Taiwan for three to 90 days are eligible. However, this does not apply to those travelling in tour groups. In other words, Hong Kong residents holding a Hong Kong passport can participate!

How do I enter the lucky draw?

The rules are simple. Those who are eligible can register online one to seven days prior to their arrival date in Taiwan on a designated government website (5000.taiwan.net.tw). Registration begins on April 28 at 12pm – but remember, the lucky draw only starts from May 1, 12pm onwards.

Participants must fill in the necessary travel information and choose the type of vouchers they would like to receive (electronic tickets or accommodation discount vouchers). A QR code for the lucky draw will be sent to you via email upon successful registration.

On the day of arrival in Taiwan, participants can head to the lucky draw event area located at the arrival halls in one of four Taiwan airports: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Songshan Airport, Taichung International Airport, and Kaohsiung International Airport.

How do I collect my prize?

Lucky winners may head to the airport's redemption area and provide relevant documents – including their entry stamp, boarding pass, and an electronic copy of their round-trip tickets – to redeem their prize.

How can I use the travel vouchers?

Those who have chosen to claim their prize in the form of electronic tickets may store the money on an EasyCard or iPass and spend them at designated merchants. Each transaction limit is NT$5,000, while the maximum usage per day is NT$3,000.

Meanwhile, winners who have opted for accommodation discounts will receive five vouchers worth NT$1,000 each. The vouchers can only be used once by the winner at hotels with tourist hotel business licenses and commercial hotels or hostels with registered licenses. The vouchers can not be reused or resold.

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The Tourism Administration has worked hard to highlight Taiwan to the world amid increasing international competition during the current post-pandemic revival in global tourism. In 2023, Taiwan was once again ranked among the world’s top-three non-OIC tourist destinations in the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), and was named as a 2023 “Favorite Adventure Destination” by US-based web publisher Trazee Travel. In addition, stories from six of Taiwan’s national scenic area administration (NSAA) offices were recognized among the Top 100 at the Global Green Destination Day Conference. In March 2024, two NSAA offices received “Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards” at the International Travel Fair Berlin (ITB).

Taiwan is a unique alpine island with a diversity of topographies, ecologies and cultures. Its people are friendly and enthusiastic. Taiwan’s island-circling railway lines and bicycle trails, as well as the national greenways traversed by its ancestral peoples, are all important tourism resources. The Tourism Administration has attracted the attention of international tourists with its "Mountains, Waters, and Fun Around the Island" campaign. In addition, it is promoting 2024 as the year of “Round-Island Fun in Taiwan” to welcome tourists from near and far to Taiwan through all four seasons.

In line with international trends, the Tourism Administration is also promoting themes such as 1) implementing “Sustainable Taiwan” in its scenic area management, 2) enhancing tourism software and hardware, 3) building and shaping the Taiwan tourism brand, and 4) developing Taiwan into a unique tourism destination.

Taiwan's natural features, culture and technical development all support inbound tourism. Visitors can experience a wide variety of traditional celebrations, religious practices and ethnic cultures. Taiwan welcomes friends from all over the world. Regardless of age or interests, an attractive itinerary awaits. Discover Taiwan and enjoy a new and interesting travel experience!

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Taiwan is planning to pay tourists to visit, including those from the Philippines

By JUSTINE PUNZALAN Published Mar 01, 2023 9:00 am Updated Mar 09, 2023 4:25 pm

Need a destination idea for 2023 and beyond? You might want to set your sights on Taiwan, as it is planning to pay tourists to visit in the coming months.

In late February, the Taiwan government received a proposal from its tourism bureau to give 500,000 international tourists an allowance of NT$5,000 each (approximately P9,000 per person) when they travel to the country.

Meanwhile, each group with eight to 14 members will be given pocket money amounting to  NT$10,000 (P17,980) and those with more members can expect to receive NT$20,000 (P35,960). According to a report by Taipei Times , the bureau is eyeing to distribute the money to 90,000 groups.

While the government has yet to approve the proposal, foreign media outlets reported that the move is part of the Taiwan government's NT$5.3 billion (P9.5 billion) project to attract six million tourists this year and ten million by 2025.

If you're one of the tourists who will be given NT$5,000 incentive, Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung said that you will receive the amount when you arrive in Taiwan.

“It will be stored in an electronic ticketing card, which can be used to pay for food, accommodation, and other travel expenses during their time here," Chang added. 

The rest will be "given out through multiple tourism promotion events this year." Because of that, "not all international tourists would receive it," the director-general noted.

The bureau is aiming to attract tourists primarily from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America.

Good news is that Filipino travelers may also be eligible for the incentive as the program will cover countries under Taiwan's New Southbound Policy as well. This includes the Philippines, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In an e-mail sent to PhilSTAR L!fe , Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Philippines said that further details about the program are yet to be announced if it is approved by the government.

" If it is approved, The Taiwan Tourism Bureau will announce the details and guidelines on its official website: https://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002001 , " the statement reads.

Prior to Taiwan, Malta launched a program in 2021 granting tourists €200 (P11,700) when they  stay in the island for more than two nights during summer of that year . The amount was paid both by participating hotels and the government in an attempt to put Malta's hotels in a "competitive position," according to Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo .

Hong Kong is likewise stepping up its game, with the launch of Airport Authority Hong Kong 's "World of Winners" campaign in February this year. With the program, 500,000 tourists around the globe will be given free airline tickets when they visit the country. Filipinos can avail of the offer through Cathay Pacific 's contest until March 9, 2023.

Editor's note: This story was updated to include the statement from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Philippines that the Taiwan Tourism Bureau's proposal for the incentive program has yet to be approved.

TAGS: taiwan pay to travel

JUSTINE PUNZALAN

Justine is a lifestyle journalist who enjoys learning and writing about people, pop culture, and BTS.

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Why You’ll Pay More and Behave Better When You Travel This Summer

From Barcelona to Bali, higher fees and new rules are targeting overtourism and unruly behavior. Some locals are worried the changes will keep tourists away.

By Paige McClanahan

A new tourist fee in Bali. Higher hotel taxes in Amsterdam and Paris. Stricter rules on public drinking in Milan and Majorca. Ahead of the summer travel season, leaders in many tourist spots have adopted measures to tame the tourist crowds — or at least earn more revenue from them.

All of this may pose headaches for travelers, although in most cases, the new fees or tax increases represent only a tiny fraction of the total cost of a trip. The goal is to ensure that tourism functions smoothly for visitors and locals alike, said Megan Epler Wood, managing director of the Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program at Cornell University.

“All tourism is dependent on beautiful natural and cultural resources. You have to protect those resources in order to be a viable tourism destination — and if you don’t, they degrade,” Ms. Epler Wood said.

In some places, proposals for new fees or visitor rules have drawn opposition from residents, who fear they might scare away the tourists who bolster the local economy. But destinations need to find ways to counteract what Ms. Epler Wood calls “ the invisible burden ” of tourism, which includes strains on a community’s infrastructure, utilities and housing stock, as well as tourists’ carbon footprint and any challenges they might impose on residents’ daily lives.

“You put so much pressure on the place that the people who live there become unhappy, and then they don’t present a very good face to tourists,” Ms. Epler Wood said. “The longer you wait, the higher the cost to fix it.”

Here is a look at new measures that travelers can expect this summer, and where others might be coming in the future.

New visitor fees

Since February, visitors to the Indonesian island of Bali have been asked to pay a levy of 150,000 Indonesian rupiahs, or about $9.40 per visit. Revenue will be used to support the preservation of cultural and natural assets on the island, where tourism has brought major challenges related to litter, water supply and overcrowding. Visitors are encouraged to pay the new fee online before departure, although it’s also possible to pay on arrival at the airport.

Beginning Aug. 1, most foreign travelers to the Galápagos Islands — which had a record-breaking 330,000 visitors last year — must pay a $200 entry fee, double the current rate. The money raised will be used to support conservation, improve infrastructure and fund community programs.

The change is the first increase to the entry fee since it was introduced in 1998, said Tom O’Hara, communications manager for the Galápagos Conservation Trust . Mr. O’Hara noted that the increase comes a year after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee urged the government of Ecuador to work toward a “zero-growth model” for tourism in the Galápagos.

“It’s quite a complicated topic,” Mr. O’Hara said, noting that the fee increase has been viewed “as part of the solution to overtourism.” On the other hand, he added, “everyone is trying to reassure the local tourist industry that this isn’t going to kill tourism on the islands.

In April, Venice began imposing a fee — 5 euros, about $5.40 — on day-trippers visiting on peak days, with the goal of striking “a new balance between the tourists and residents.”

But the new Venice Access Fee has drawn criticism from residents. “This project is a disaster for us. We are a city, not a park,” said Matteo Secchi, the president of Venessia.com, an association of Venice residents. Mr. Secchi said that a communications campaign would have been more effective.

The possibility of a new tourist fee has also drawn local opposition in Hawaii, where Gov. Josh Green has proposed a “climate impact fee” for visitors to the state. The measure failed during a recent meeting of the State Legislature, but Governor Green has persisted in calling for visitors to help fund the state’s preparation for future climate shocks.

“We have to get this tiger by the tail,” he told journalists in May, adding that $25 per visitor could raise $250 million a year, which the state could use to guard against climate disasters, manage erosion, strengthen infrastructure and protect parks.

Hotel fees and other taxes get a bump

Hotel taxes, also known as occupancy or accommodation taxes, are widespread in the United States and Europe, where they were on the rise for a decade leading up to the pandemic. With tourism’s rebound to prepandemic levels, several destinations have increased or adjusted the tax to capture more revenue.

Like Hawaii, Greece — which also suffered severe wildfires last summer — is looking to steel itself against climate disasters, and the government wants tourists to help foot the bill. Greece is calling the charge a climate crisis resilience fee , and it will be collected by accommodation providers. The tax will be higher from March to October, when it will top out at €10 per night at five-star hotels. The rate drops from November to February, and for hotels with fewer stars. The fee replaces the previous hotel tax, which ranged from €0.50 to €4 per night.

In Amsterdam, the hotel tax, which was already one of the highest in Europe, rose to 12.5 percent from 7 percent on Jan. 1. City lawmakers have also raised the tax on cruise passengers to €14 from €11 per person per night.

The hotel tax in Barcelona also rose this year, increasing to €3.25 per night. The measure was the final step-up in a gradual increase that began before the pandemic. A spokesman for Barcelona City Hall said that further tax increases would be aimed at tourist rental apartments and cruises that make short stopovers, which contribute less to the city’s income. The spokesman also noted that revenue generated by the tourist tax is being used, among other things, to fund the installation of solar panels and air-conditioning in Barcelona’s public schools.

Ahead of this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, lawmakers in the Île-de-France region have imposed a new tax, on top of the normal hotel levy. With the new tax, which will fund public transportation in the region, a guest in a five-star hotel now owes a total of €10.73 in tax per night stayed, while a stay in a two-star hotel incurs a tax of €3.25 per night.

Though the measure was adopted by the regional government, it was not supported by the leadership in Paris itself. A spokeswoman for Paris City Hall called the move “a democratic power grab” that “in no way benefits the city of Paris.” She noted that even with the funds generated by the new tax, the region still raised the price of tickets for public transportation in the city during the Olympics — a measure that has disgruntled many Paris residents.

Introducing new rules

In other tourist spots, the focus is on curbing behavior that pollutes the local environment or harms residents’ quality of life.

In Japan, authorities at Mount Fuji will cap visitors at 4,000 per day. They have also imposed a new fee of 2,000 yen (about $13) for access to the iconic summit. Elsewhere in the country, a community council in the Gion neighborhood of Kyoto has closed some small roads to tourists, after complaints that the area, home to the city’s geisha district, was suffering from crowds.

“We will ask tourists to refrain from entering narrow private streets in or after April,” Isokazu Ota, a leading member of the community council, told Agence-France Presse in March. “We don’t want to do this, but we’re desperate.”

A spokeswoman for the city’s tourism board described the road closures as “a local initiative,” adding that “neither Kyoto City nor the Kyoto City Tourism Association are aware of any details beyond what is reported in the media.”

Rowdy visitor behavior has been the target of new rules in Milan. In some areas, city leaders have banned outdoor seating after 12:30 a.m. during the week and 1:30 a.m. on the weekend in response to resident complaints. They have also limited the late-night sale of takeaway food and drinks.

And in certain areas on the Spanish Balearic Islands of Majorca and Ibiza that are overrun with drunk tourists, the government has imposed a ban on late-night sales of alcohol and the consumption of alcohol in the street. New restrictions have also been imposed on party boats in the same areas.

“Tourism has negative externalities that must be managed and minimized,” Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic Islands, told a local gathering this month , according to The Majorca Daily Bulletin. Local tourism, she said, “cannot continue to grow in volume.”

Paige McClanahan, a regular contributor to the Travel section, is author of “The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel,” forthcoming from Scribner on June 18.

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Port Antonio, Jamaica:  The Grammy-nominated D.J. and music producer Diplo recommends spots in a city he loves  on Jamaica’s northeast coast. A dance party makes the cut.

New Mexico:  The Gila Wilderness, home to wolves, mountain lions and other wildlife, marks a century as a “land lab,”  where nature thrives as far as the eye can see.

Greece:  Is Serifos the perfect Greek island? A writer’s checklist included ferry service, great beaches and good local restaurants.

Brooklyn:  This 36-hour itinerary  skips the most touristy and overdeveloped areas, including Williamsburg and Dumbo, and requires no restaurant reservations or advance planning.

Costa Rica:  Travelers are signing up for phone-free tours to try to escape technology’s tether on daily life. But would it make for a better experience ?

Judge orders railway to pay Washington tribe nearly $400 million for trespassing with oil trains

A federal judge has ruled that BNSF Railway must pay nearly $400 million to a Native American tribe in Washington state

SEATTLE -- BNSF Railway must pay nearly $400 million to a Native American tribe in Washington state, a federal judge ordered Monday after finding that the company intentionally trespassed when it repeatedly ran 100-car trains carrying crude oil across the tribe's reservation.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik initially ruled last year that the railway deliberately violated the terms of a 1991 easement with the Swinomish Tribe north of Seattle that allows trains to carry no more than 25 cars per day. The judge held a trial earlier this month to determine how much in profits BNSF made through trespassing from 2012 to 2021 and how much it should be required to disgorge.

“We know that this is a large amount of money. But that just reflects the enormous wrongful profits that BNSF gained by using the Tribe’s land day after day, week after week, year after year over our objections," Steve Edwards, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, said in a statement. "When there are these kinds of profits to be gained, the only way to deter future wrongdoing is to do exactly what the Court did today — make the trespasser give up the money it gained by trespassing.”

The company based in Fort Worth, Texas, said in an email it had no comment.

The tribe, which has about 1,400 members, sued in 2015 after BNSF dramatically increased, without the tribe’s consent, the number of cars it was running across the reservation so that it could ship crude oil from the Bakken Formation in and around North Dakota to a nearby refinery. The route crosses sensitive marine ecosystems along the coast, over water that connects with the Salish Sea, where the tribe has treaty-protected rights to fish.

Bakken oil is easier to refine into the fuels sold at the gas pump and ignites more easily. After train cars carrying Bakken crude oil exploded in Alabama, North Dakota and Quebec, a federal agency warned in 2014 that the oil has a higher degree of volatility than other crudes in the U.S.

Last year, two BNSF engines derailed on Swinomish land, leaking an estimated 3,100 gallons (11,700 liters) of diesel fuel near Padilla Bay.

The tribe pointed out that a corporate predecessor of BNSF laid the tracks in the late 19th century over its objections. The tribe sued in the 1970s, alleging decades of trespassing, and only in 1991 was that litigation settled, when the tribe granted an easement allowing limited use of the tracks.

The easement limited rail traffic to one train of 25 cars per day in each direction. It required BNSF to tell the tribe about the “nature and identity of all cargo” transported across the reservation, and it said the tribe would not arbitrarily withhold permission to increase the number of trains or cars.

The tribe learned through a 2011 Skagit County planning document that a nearby refinery would start receiving crude oil trains. It wasn’t until the following year that the tribe received information from BNSF addressing current track usage, court documents show.

The tribe and BNSF discussed amending the agreement, but “at no point did the Tribe approve BNSF’s unilateral decision to transport unit trains across the Reservation, agree to increase the train or car limitations, or waive its contractual right of approval,” Lasnik said in his decision last year.

“BNSF failed to update the Tribe regarding the nature of the cargo that was crossing the Reservation and unilaterally increased the number of trains and the number of cars without the Tribe’s written agreement, thereby violating the conditions placed on BNSF’s permission to enter the property,” Lasnik said.

The four-day trial this month was designed to provide the court with details and expert testimony to guide the judge through complex calculations about how much in “ill-gotten” profit BNSF should have to disgorge. Lasnik put that figure at $362 million and added $32 million in post-tax profits such as investment income for a total of more than $394 million.

In reality, the judge wrote, BNSF made far more than $32 million in post-tax profits, but adding all of that up would have added hundreds of millions more to what was already a large judgment against the railway.

The tribe said it expects BNSF to appeal the ruling.

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Elon Musk gets 77% approval from shareholders to get back his big, $44.9 billion Tesla pay package

Tesla shareholders voted to restore CEO Elon Musk’s $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge earlier this year. Associated Press Auto Writer Tom Krisher says the favorable vote doesn’t mean CEO Musk will get the all-stock compensation anytime soon. The package is likely to remain tied up in the Delaware Chancery Court for months as Tesla appeals the rejection.

If Tesla shareholders vote to approve Elon Musk’s $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge in January, it would almost guarantee he would remain at the company he grew to be the world leader in electric vehicles, shifting to AI and robotics including autonomous vehicles, which Musk says is Tesla’s future.

Vehicles pass the Tesla Gigafactory, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Tesla shareholders are charting the future of the electric vehicle company as they wrap up voting whether or not to restore CEO Elon Musk’s massive pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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FILE - Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars after a visit in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, March 13, 2024. If Tesla shareholders vote against restoring Elon Musk’s $44.9 billion pay package that was tossed out by a Delaware judge, the CEO could deliver on threats to take artificial intelligence research to another firm, or even leave Tesla. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

Men wearing Texas flag themed western shirts stand next to a Tesla Cybertruck at the Tesla Gigafactory, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Tesla shareholders are charting the future of the electric vehicle company as they wrap up voting whether or not to restore CEO Elon Musk’s massive pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Tesla’s Gigafactory is seen, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Tesla shareholders are charting the future of the electric vehicle company as they wrap up voting whether or not to restore CEO Elon Musk’s massive pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Vehicles pass the Tesla Gigafactory, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Tesla shareholders are charting the future of the electric vehicle company as they wrap up voting whether or not to restore CEO Elon Musk’s massive pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Work continues on the Tesla Gigafactory, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Tesla shareholders are charting the future of the electric vehicle company as they wrap up voting whether or not to restore CEO Elon Musk’s massive pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla shareholders voted Thursday to restore CEO Elon Musk’s record $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge earlier this year, sending a strong vote of confidence in his leadership of the world’s largest electric vehicle maker.

The favorable vote doesn’t necessarily mean that Musk will get the all-stock compensation anytime soon. The package is likely to remain tied up in the Delaware Chancery Court and Supreme Court for months as Tesla tries to overturn the Delaware judge’s rejection.

Musk has raised doubts about his future with Tesla this year, writing on X, the social media platform he owns, that he wanted a 25% stake in the company in order to stop him from taking artificial intelligence development elsewhere. The higher stake is needed to control the use of AI , he has said.

Tesla also has struggled with falling sales and profit margins as demand for electric vehicles slows worldwide.

But at the company’s annual meeting Thursday in Austin, Texas, Musk reassured shareholders that he will stick around, telling them he can’t sell any stock in the compensation package for five years.

“It’s not actually cash, and I can’t cut and run, nor would I want to,” he said.

The company said late Thursday that shareholders had voted for Musk’s compensation plan, which initially was approved by the board and stockholders six years ago.

Tesla last valued the package at $44.9 billion in an April regulatory filing. It was once as much as $56 billion but has declined in value in tandem with Tesla’s stock, which has dropped about 25% so far this year.

Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick ruled in January in a shareholder’s lawsuit that Musk essentially controlled the Tesla board when it ratified the package in 2018, and that it failed to fully inform shareholders who approved it the same year.

Tesla has said it would appeal, but asked shareholders to reapprove the package at Thursday’s annual meeting.

A separate vote approved moving the company’s legal home to Texas to avoid the courts in Delaware, where Tesla is registered as a corporation.

“Its incredible,” a jubilant Musk told the crowd gathered at Tesla’s headquarters and large factory in Austin, Texas. “I think we’re not just opening a new chapter for Tesla, we’re starting a new book.”

Musk and Tesla didn’t win everything. Shareholders approved measures that trimmed board member terms from three years to one and cut the required vote on shareholder proposals to a simple majority.

Legal experts say the issue of Musk’s pay will still be decided in Delaware, largely because Musk’s lawyers have assured McCormick they won’t try to move the case to Texas.

But they differ on whether the new ratification of the pay package will make it easier for Tesla to get it approved.

Charles Elson, a retired professor and founder of the corporate governance center at the University of Delaware, said he doesn’t think the vote will influence McCormick, who issued a decision based on the law.

McCormick’s ruling essentially made the 2018 compensation package a gift to Musk, Elson said, and that would need unanimous shareholder approval, an impossible threshold. The vote, he said, is interesting from a public perception standpoint, but “in my view it does not affect the ruling.”

John Lawrence, a Dallas-based lawyer with Baker Botts who defends corporations against shareholder lawsuits, agreed the vote doesn’t end the legal dispute and automatically give Musk the stock options. But he says it gives Tesla a strong argument to get the ruling overturned.

He expects Musk and Tesla to argue that shareholders were fully informed before the latest votes, so McCormick should reverse her decision. But the plaintiff in the lawsuit will argue that the vote has no impact and isn’t legally binding, Lawrence said.

The vote, he said, was done under Delaware law and should be considered by the judge.

“This shareholder vote is a strong signal that you now have an absolutely well-informed body of shareholders,” he said. “The judge in Delaware still could decide that this doesn’t change a thing about her prior ruling and doesn’t require her to make any different ruling going forward. But I think it definitely gives Tesla and Musk strong ammunition to try to get her to revisit this.”

If the ruling stands, then Musk likely will appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court, Lawrence said.

Multiple institutional investors have come out against Musk’s sizeable payout, some citing the company’s recent struggles . But analysts said votes by individual shareholders likely put Musk’s pay over the top.

Early Friday, Tesla disclosed that shareholders voted for Musk’s pay package by 1,760,780,650 to 528,908,419, with about 77% of all votes in favor. The company’s shares jumped 3% by the time the markets closed Thursday and were up 1.2% in premarket trading early Friday.

After the votes were announced, Musk began telling shareholders about new developments in the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system. He has staked the company’s future on development of autonomous vehicles, robots and artificial intelligence.

“Full Self-Driving” keeps improving with new versions, and its safety per mile is better than human drivers, Musk said.

“This is actually going to work. This is going to happen. Mark my words, this is just a matter of time,” he said.

Despite its name, “Full Self-Driving” can’t drive itself, and the company says human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times. Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” hardware went on sale late in 2015, and Musk has used the name ever since as the company gathered data to teach its computers how to drive.

In 2019, Musk promised a fleet of autonomous robotaxis by 2020, and he said in early 2022 that the cars would be autonomous that year. In April of last year, Musk said the system should be ready in 2023.

Since 2021, Tesla has been beta-testing “Full Self-Driving” using volunteer owners. U.S. safety regulators last year made Tesla recall the software after finding that the system misbehaved around intersections and could violate traffic laws.

Musk also said the company is making huge progress on its Optimus humanoid robot. Currently it has two working at its factory in Fremont, California, that take battery cells off a production line and put them in shipping containers, he said.

Despite laying off the team working on Tesla’s Supercharger electric vehicle charging network, Musk said he thinks the company will deploy more chargers this year “that are actually working” than the rest of the industry. In the second half of the year, he expects to spend $500 million on Superchargers, Musk said.

Hamilton reported from San Francisco.

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