Taiwan Southern Escapes: NT$10M Perks & EVA Air Guide

Backing its regional decentralisation drive with more than NT$10 million (US$330,000) in direct passenger incentives, Taiwan has initiated an international campaign to redirect foreign visitors into its southern agricultural, coastal, and mountain corridors. Spearheaded by the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, the program brings together four autonomous conservation zones—the Southwest Coast, Siraya, Maolin, and Dapeng Bay—under a unified marketing consortium branded as the Southern Tourism Union. In direct partnership with flag carrier EVA Air and digital booking agency Klook, the state-sponsored effort combines discounted air-and-land packaging with redemption vouchers to solve a long-standing structural imbalance in Taiwan's tourism economy.

For decades, international arrivals entering through Taoyuan International Airport have remained concentrated within the Taipei metropolitan basin and northern tourist circuits like Jiufen and Taroko. By linking long-haul aviation tickets directly to localized land transport and attraction passes, tourism authorities are incentivizing independent foreign travelers (FITs) to extend their itineraries southward across Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung.

Institutional Architecture of the Southern Tourism Union

The campaign represents an evolution toward multi-jurisdictional destination management. Rather than forcing small regional scenic administrations to fund independent international sales missions, the Taiwan Tourism Administration consolidated the promotional budgets of four distinct administrative regions into a single digital storefront.

Each participant region contributes distinct environmental and cultural characteristics to the collective promotional framework:

Southwest Coast: Encompassing the coastal flats of Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan, this sector highlights historical sea salt pans, expansive mangrove lagoons, and dedicated coastal cycling tracks suited for active travelers.
Siraya: Spanning the foothills of Tainan and Chiayi, the zone features freshwater eco-tourism, centered on boat excursions across Zengwen Reservoir, agricultural tasting trails, and indigenous Siraya cultural settlements.
Maolin: Stretching into the mountainous terrain of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, Maolin offers deep encounters with Rukai and Paiwan indigenous heritage, traditional slate-stone architecture, and seasonal purple crow butterfly sanctuaries.
Dapeng Bay: Anchoring Pingtung's maritime sector, this region focuses on marine leisure, sailing regattas, lagoon eco-tours, and coastal wellness retreats adjoining the Taiwan Strait.

SOUTHERN TAIWAN TOURISM UNION: FOUR SCENIC REGIONS OVERVIEW

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Column 5
Scenic Area	Core Counties	Key Geographic Base	Primary Attraction	Cultural Heritage
Southwest Coast	Tainan, Chiayi,	Coastal intertidal	Jingzaijiao Salt	Salt farming,
National Scenic Area	Yunlin	wetlands & lagoons	Pans & Birding	coastal fishing
Siraya	Tainan, Chiayi	Foothills, inland	Zengwen Reservoir	Siraya Pingpu
National Scenic Area		lakes, mud springs	& Guanziling Baths	indigenous culture
Maolin	Kaohsiung,	Deep river valleys,	Purple Butterfly	Rukai & Paiwan
National Scenic Area	Pingtung	mountainous terrain	Valley & Canyons	slate architecture
Dapeng Bay	Pingtung	Tidal lagoon, bay,	Lagoon Sailing &	Donggang maritime,
National Scenic Area		coral reef islands	Xiaoliuqiu Island	King Boat festival

By presenting these four distinct ecosystems under a consolidated digital umbrella, the campaign encourages overseas travelers to build multi-day circuits utilizing the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) corridor to transition seamlessly between coastal wetlands and central mountain reserves.

Deep Environmental and Cultural Profile of the Four Scenic Zones

Southern Taiwan offers an authentic, unhurried alternative to the rapid pace of the northern urban centers. Each of the four participating scenic administrations preserves specialized ecological habitats and living cultural traditions.

THE SOUTHERN TAIWAN SCENIC CIRCUIT:
[Taipei / Taoyuan] =====[THSR Bullet Train: 90 Mins]=====> [Chiayi / Tainan / Zuoying]
                                                                  |
         +--------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------+
         |                                                                                             |
         v                                                                                             v
 [West Coast: Wetlands & Culture]                                                      [East & South: Mountains & Sea]
 Southwest Coast (Salt Pans & Lagoons)                                                 Maolin (Indigenous Valleys & Butterflies)
 Siraya (Zengwen Reservoir & Mud Springs)                                              Dapeng Bay (Lagoon Sailing & Xiaoliuqiu)

1. Southwest Coast National Scenic Area: Heritage Salt Pans and Wetland Ecology

The Southwest Coast National Scenic Area preserves Taiwan’s maritime history along the Taiwan Strait. For over two centuries, this coastal stretch served as the industrial heart of Taiwan's solar sea salt production:

Jingzaijiao Tile-Paved Salt Fields: Established in 1818 in Beimen, Tainan, Jingzaijiao is the oldest existing tile-paved salt field in Taiwan. Rather than standard earthen beds, the evaporation ponds are paved with fragments of antique pottery and ceramic shards, producing pure white salt crystals. At sunset, the shallow reflective brine mirrors the sky, drawing photographers and cultural heritage enthusiasts.
Qigu Salt Mountain and Lagoon: Further south in Qigu, visitors explore a towering artificial mountain composed of industrial solar salt, alongside extensive oyster farming beds. Traditional wooden boat excursions guide visitors through the maze-like mangrove canals of Qigu Lagoon.
Winter Avian Migration: Between October and March, the coastal marshes host globally endangered Black-faced Spoonbills migrating south from Siberia and Korea. Purpose-built birdwatching pavilions equipped with high-powered spotting scopes allow travelers to view rare migratory flocks without disturbing their feeding grounds.

2. Siraya National Scenic Area: Reservoir Waters and Geothermal Mud Baths

Named in honor of the indigenous Siraya Pingpu people who originally inhabited the fertile plains of southwestern Taiwan, this scenic zone encompasses rolling agricultural foothills and vital inland watersheds:

Zengwen Reservoir Eco-Cruises: As Taiwan's largest freshwater reservoir by storage volume, Zengwen Reservoir provides scenic boat cruises surrounded by untouched forested mountain peaks. Highlights include stops at "Wild Boar Island," where herds of feral boars emerge from the mountain brush at the sound of classical opera broadcast from approaching boats, and raptor sanctuaries where wild black kites dive for fish beside passenger vessels.
Guanziling Rare Mud Hot Springs: Nestled in Baihe, Tainan, Guanziling is one of only three verified natural geothermal mud spring systems in the world (alongside Kagoshima in Japan and Salsomaggiore in Italy). The dark, mineral-rich grey waters, infused with natural subterranean sulfur and silt, offer restorative skin-soothing mineral baths recognized since the Japanese colonial era.
Agro-Tourism and the Dongshan Coffee Road: Country Route 175, known as the Dongshan Coffee Highway, winds through highland farms producing shade-grown Arabica coffee beans alongside citrus groves of Wendan pomelos and seedless Ponkan mandarins.

3. Maolin National Scenic Area: Indigenous Slate Villages and Overwintering Butterflies

Stretching into the mountainous valleys of Kaohsiung and northern Pingtung, Maolin is a sanctuary for Taiwan's indigenous mountain cultures and specialized ecological phenomena:

The Purple Crow Butterfly Migration: Every winter from November through March, over a million purple crow butterflies migrate from central Taiwan to overwinter in the sheltered valleys of Maolin. This biological gathering is one of only two massive winter butterfly overwintering spectacles on Earth, matched only by the Monarch butterfly migrations in Mexico. Specially constructed elevated boardwalks allow visitors to witness clouds of iridescent purple butterflies sunning their wings on sub-tropical canopy trees.
Rukai and Paiwan Slate Stone Architecture: In remote villages such as Duona, indigenous craftsmen construct traditional subterranean homes entirely out of stacked slabs of black slate mined from riverbeds. Visitors can admire intricate woodcarvings depicting the sacred hundred-pace pit viper, sample wild mountain pepper sausage, and learn traditional glass-bead jewelry craftsmanship.
Zhuokou River Canyon and Suspension Bridges: The deep river canyons of Maolin are spanned by soaring pedestrian suspension bridges, including the Duona Suspension Bridge, offering sweeping vistas of carved gorges, mountain waterfalls, and natural stone arches.

4. Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area: Marine Recreation and Coral Island Gateways

Anchoring Taiwan’s southern coast along the Taiwan Strait, Dapeng Bay is centered around Taiwan's largest enclosed tidal lagoon, offering year-round warm-water maritime recreation:

Dapeng Bay Lagoon Water Sports: Formed by an expansive offshore sandbar, the tranquil waters of the lagoon permit sailing regattas, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and electric kayak tours through coastal mangrove forests. A dedicated 12-kilometer paved cycling circuit encircles the lagoon, passing the iconic Pengwan Cross-Sea Bridge, which opens its drawbridge for passing sailing vessels on weekends.
Donggang Maritime Gateway: Adjacent to Dapeng Bay, the active fishing harbor of Donggang is celebrated for its bustling fish market auctions, world-class bluefin tuna sashimi, and the triennial Donglong Temple King Boat Burning ceremony, a monumental folk festival dedicated to warding off pestilence.
Xiaoliuqiu Coral Reef Island: Dapeng Bay administers Xiaoliuqiu (Lambai Island), located a swift 20-minute passenger ferry ride from Donggang wharf. Xiaoliuqiu is Taiwan’s sole offshore coral reef island, celebrated for its population of wild green sea turtles. Visitors can rent electric scooters to navigate the island's coastal perimeter, snorkeling directly from shore alongside protected sea turtles.

Commercial Incentive Mechanics: EVA Air, Klook, and the NT$10M Fund

The deployment of the NT$10 million incentive pool leverages dynamic pricing and cross-platform subsidization to capture independent travelers at the point of booking. The program combines airline seat promotions with instant digital coupon redemptions for local tour products, guided excursions, and regional craft workshops.

COMMERCIAL INCENTIVE TIERS & REDEMPTION FRAMEWORK

Entity / Facility	Delays	Cancellations	Details
Incentive Tier	Partner Organization	Redemption Mechanism	Value & Minimum Spend
Flight Discount	EVA Air International	Dedicated promo booking code	10% to 15% off long-haul
Tier	Outbound Routes	entered on airline website	round-trip airfares
Day Tour Credit	Klook Platform Voucher	Instant digital promo code	NT$500 discount on
Tier	Southern Tour Catalog	at checkout on Klook app	tours exceeding NT$1,500
Attraction Entry	National Scenic Area Union	QR code voucher redeemed at	Free boat cruise or hot
Bundle	Direct Partner Vendors	attraction ticket window	spring mud bath pass
Rail Subsidies	Taiwan High Speed Rail	Bundled with flight or tour	2-for-1 THSR one-way
(THSR Partner)	+ Regional Shuttle Bus	booking on travel platforms	ticket pass for tourists

Strategic Collaboration with EVA Air

The partnership with EVA Air, a Star Alliance member and Taiwan’s premier international carrier, targets high-spending outbound leisure travelers in North America (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, Toronto), Europe (London, Paris, Vienna, Milan, Munich, Amsterdam), and Australia:

Dedicated Inbound Promo Codes: Passengers booking international flights into Taipei (TPE) or Kaohsiung (KHH) on EVA Air receive customized digital coupon codes granting direct airfare reductions when their booking includes ground stays in southern Taiwan.
Baggage Allowance Advantages: Travelers taking advantage of EVA Air's generous long-haul baggage allowance (two 23-kilogram bags in Economy, two 32-kilogram bags in Royal Laurel Business Class) can travel south without restrictive luggage surcharges.
Open-Jaw Routing Options: Travelers can land at Taipei Taoyuan (TPE), travel south through the four scenic areas, and depart directly from Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) back to Asian destinations, saving backtracking transit time.

Digital Execution via Klook

The digital booking platform Klook serves as the operational distribution engine for the NT$10 million subsidy pool. Independent travelers access a dedicated campaign landing portal that features curated activities across the four scenic zones:

Frictionless Voucher Application: Users apply state-sponsored promotional discount codes directly at checkout, deducting up to NT$500 to NT$1,000 instantly from qualifying southern Taiwan activity bookings.
Instant Confirmation and Mobile Ticketing: Rather than coordinating with local rural tour operators via phone or local language barriers, foreign visitors receive bilingual digital vouchers with QR codes stored directly in their smartphones.
Verified Local Provider Payouts: The Taiwan Tourism Administration reimburses certified local merchants, boat captains, indigenous artisan collectives, and boutique hot spring resorts directly through the Klook merchant network, guaranteeing that state funds flow directly into rural community enterprises.

High-Speed Rail Synergies and Last-Mile Transport Logistics

Overcoming geographic distance between northern international arrival gateways and southern scenic zones requires an integrated multi-modal transit network. Taiwan possesses one of the most advanced public transportation infrastructures in Asia, allowing international travelers to navigate the island with ease.

TRANSIT CORRIDORS CONNECTING TAIPEI TO SOUTHERN SCENIC ZONES

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4	Column 5
Transit System	Connecting Hubs	Travel Duration	Service Frequency	Integrated Perks
Taiwan High Speed	Taipei / Taoyuan	80 to 95 Minutes	Trains depart every	2-for-1 ticket deal
Rail (THSR)	to Chiayi/Zuoying	(300 km/h speed)	15 to 20 minutes	for foreign tourists
Taiwan Tourist	High Speed Rail	30 to 75 Minutes	Synchronized with	Discounted day
Shuttle Bus (Shuttle	Stations to Parks	depending on route	train arrival banks	passes with iPASS
Provincial Highway	Chiayi & Tainan	Variable self-drive	Independent driving	Scenic mountain
Route 3 (Scenic By)	Foothills Corridor	mountain routes	at leisure	road trip stops
Xiaoliuqiu Ferry	Donggang Pier to	20 Minutes across	Ferries depart	Subsidized scooter
Hydrofoil Services	Baisha Harbor	Taiwan Strait	every 30 minutes	rentals on island

The Taiwan High Speed Rail Backbone

The Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) operates trains at speeds up to 300 km/h, linking Taipei Main Station or Taoyuan Airport Station to Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying (Kaohsiung) in under 90 minutes.

International travelers can leverage significant rail promotions:

Foreign Visitor 2-for-1 THSR Promotion: Under government tourism promotions, foreign passport holders traveling in pairs can purchase one-way THSR tickets to southern stations with the second passenger traveling entirely free of charge.
Unlimited 3-Day THSR Passes: Independent travelers planning flexible itineraries can purchase an unlimited 3-day tourist rail pass, allowing unlimited high-speed train boarding across consecutive days.

Last-Mile Tourist Shuttles and Contactless Smartcards

Upon arriving at southern THSR stations, travelers transition smoothly to dedicated tourist transit routes:

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Network: Specially branded tourist buses depart directly from Chiayi, Tainan, and Zuoying stations, connecting directly to the entrance gates of the scenic areas:
- Route 33 (Guanziling Line): Connects Chiayi THSR station directly to Guanziling mud hot springs in Siraya.
- Route 99 (Anping Taijiang Line): Connects Tainan Station to Southwest Coast salt pans and mangrove reserves.
- Route 9127D (Dapeng Bay Line): Connects Zuoying THSR station directly to Dapeng Bay Visitor Center and Donggang ferry pier.
Contactless Smartcards (EasyCard & iPASS): Foreign visitors can use integrated contactless smartcards (EasyCard or iPASS) across all regional buses, local trains, passenger ferries, and municipal bike-sharing stations (YouBike 2.0). Cards can be topped up at any convenience store (7-Eleven, FamilyMart) across Taiwan.

Economic Decentralization and Regional Dispersal Analytics

The deployment of the NT$10 million tourism incentive fund is a strategic intervention designed to rectify geographic tourism concentration.

Historically, over 70% of total international visitor nights in Taiwan have been spent in the greater Taipei basin. While this high density supports northern urban hospitality infrastructure, it creates seasonal overcrowding at popular northern landmarks like Jiufen Old Street and Yehliu Geopark. Conversely, southern agricultural counties face economic challenges resulting from aging rural populations and youth migration to urban centers.

ECONOMIC IMPACT BENCHMARKS: CAPITAL CONCENTRATION VS REGIONAL SHIFT

Economic Metric	Traditional Northern Concentration	Target Regional Dispersion Model
International Visitor Nights	72% in Taipei & Northern Environs	Shift 25%+ of total nights southward
Average Length of Stay	6.2 Days (Capital Centric)	8.5 to 10 Days (Comprehensive Circuit
Daily Visitor Expenditure	Captured primarily by large hotels	Directed to rural minsu & artisans
Carbon Footprint Per Day	High urban grid concentration	Eco-tourism & public transit balance
Micro-Enterprise Benefit	Global corporate hotel chains	Local cooperatives & family minsu

By directing international travel subsidies toward the Southern Tourism Union, government planners achieve several structural benefits:

Direct Injection into Local Rural Economies: Travel incentives on Klook are tied directly to certified local minsu (boutique family-run bed and breakfasts), indigenous handicraft cooperatives, fruit-picking farms, and local boat operators, ensuring that economic benefits bypass large urban corporate intermediaries.
Extending International Visitor Stays: Overseas tourists taking advantage of multi-region packages increase their overall stay in Taiwan from the historical average of 6.2 days to between 8 and 10 days, generating higher aggregate tourism spending per arrival.
Preserving Indigenous Living Heritage: Providing sustainable tourism revenue to indigenous Rukai, Paiwan, and Siraya craftspeople creates economic incentives for younger generations to remain in their ancestral mountain villages, preserving traditional woodcarving, slate stonemasonry, and indigenous languages.

Curated 5-Day Southern Taiwan Travel Itinerary

To maximize the benefits of the NT$10 million promotional campaign, international independent travelers can adopt this optimized 5-day linear circuit:

CURATED 5-DAY INDEPENDENT SOUTHERN TAIWAN EXPEDITION

Entity / Facility	Delays	Cancellations	Details
Day	Focus Region	Key Daytime Activities	Evening Experience & Stay
Day 1	Dapeng Bay Lagoon	High-speed rail to Zuoying; shuttle	Seafood dinner at Donggang Harbor;
	& Donggang Port	to Dapeng Bay; lagoon sailing/kayaking	Stay at a waterfront lagoon minsu
Day 2	Xiaoliuqiu Island	20-min ferry to Xiaoliuqiu; coastal	Sunset at Vase Rock; fresh local
	Coral Ecosystem	snorkeling with wild green sea turtles	seafood BBQ; return ferry to coast
Day 3	Maolin Mountain	Scenic drive into Maolin canyon; view	Traditional Rukai slate dinner;
	Indigenous Valleys	winter purple butterfly clouds; Duona	Overnight in an indigenous homestay
Day 4	Siraya Scenic Area	Drive scenic Route 175; eco-cruise on	Mineral-rich Guanziling mud hot
	& Zengwen Lake	Zengwen Reservoir to Wild Boar Island	spring bath; stay at spa resort
Day 5	Southwest Coast	Morning visit to Jingzaijiao salt	Tainan historic temple street food
	& Heritage Tainan	fields; Qigu oyster boat; Tainan City	Depart via THSR to airport/Taipei

Practical Travel Tips for Southern Explorers

Best Seasonal Window: The ideal time to explore southern Taiwan is from late October through April. During these months, southern Taiwan enjoys warm, dry, sunny weather with comfortable daytime temperatures ranging between 22°C and 27°C, perfectly coinciding with the purple crow butterfly migration season in Maolin.
Language Navigation: While English is widely understood at major high-speed rail stations, downloading offline translation apps (such as Google Translate) helps travelers communicate with rural minsu hosts, temple elders, and market vendors.
Sun and Hydration Protection: Even in winter, southern Taiwan receives strong sub-tropical sunshine. Bring broad-spectrum sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, and a reusable water bottle (chilled, filtered drinking water dispensers are free at every railway station and visitor center).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Southern Tourism Union campaign in Taiwan?

It is a government initiative connecting four national scenic areas—Siraya, Southwest Coast, Maolin, and Dapeng Bay—offering NT$10 million in travel incentives to international visitors.

How can international travelers claim the NT$10 million travel perks?

Incentives are distributed through promotional booking codes and vouchers when booking qualifying EVA Air flight packages and regional activities on the Klook platform.

Which regions of Taiwan are included in the promotion?

The campaign covers southern destinations across Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, spanning coastal lagoons, inland reservoirs, and indigenous mountain communities.

Does the discount apply to high-speed rail tickets?

Select promotional bundles on Klook and EVA Air offer integrated packages that combine local tour activities with discounted Taiwan High Speed Rail passes.

Taiwan Deploys NT$10 Million Tourism Subsidies with EVA Air and Klook: Decentralising Foreign Footfall to Southern Scenic Zones