Taipei:A total of 53,304 foreign travelers registered between October 1 and October 7 for Taiwan's repeat visitor program, with plans to bring 10,017 accompanying friends and family members, as reported by the Tourism Administration on Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the program encourages repeat visits by offering travelers a chance to win NT$5,000 (US$157) in travel credits, while one accompanying friend or family member can receive NT$3,000. The top nationalities among registrants during this period were Japanese, Hong Kong and Macau, South Korean, Singaporean, and Filipino.

Travelers who entered Taiwan on a non-Republic of China (Taiwan) passport between January 1, 2023, and the day before registration are eligible for the program. Accompanying friends and family members qualify if they have not visited Taiwan during that timeframe. Registration is open to those planning a 3-90 day visit between October 10 and March 31, 2027, and must be completed on the designated website seven to 90 days before arrival. The website began accepting registrations at 10 a.m. on October 1.

Winners can redeem their credits at 7-Eleven stores and load them onto an icash 2.0, iPASS, or EasyCard for use at participating merchants in Taiwan. The first lottery draw occurred on Wednesday, as noted by the Tourism Administration.

Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-hsiu highlighted that 8.57 million foreign travelers visited Taiwan in 2025, with repeat visitors making up 42 percent, indicating a return to pre-COVID-19 repeat visitor levels. Agency data shows 6.175 million travelers visited Taiwan from January to September this year, marking a 1.93 percent increase from the same period in 2025.