Taiwan is struggling to lure back international visitors, a challenge made harder by tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
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00:00 Taiwan unveils plans for a new sleeper train which will take in some of the island's most
00:06 popular tourist spots. Developed with Japan's National Rail Company, the sleeper will wind
00:11 its way down Taiwan's northeast coast. It's part of efforts to attract more Japanese visitors
00:17 and boost Taiwan's beleaguered tourism industry.
00:20 I think Taiwan can slowly enjoy itself. You can stop at some of the old stations, stop
00:27 at the beach and enjoy the moonlight. The scenery, the wind and the sea are all part
00:34 of the new experience. You can see Taiwan from a mobile hotel.
00:40 Before the pandemic, millions of visitors came to Taiwan each year, with tourism making
00:45 up 5% of the country's GDP. Now, the government is struggling to get those numbers back. In
00:52 2023, visitors from Japan were just half of pre-pandemic levels.
00:56 Because the number of Japanese people with passports is relatively low, the Ministry
01:00 of Tourism will provide passports. For Japanese people who have just got their passports and
01:04 are travelling to Taiwan, they will be able to get a 5000 yen Japanese yen.
01:08 Taiwan has made even less progress in getting back Chinese tourists, once the largest group
01:13 to visit. For the last four years, Beijing has banned most of its citizens from visiting
01:18 Taiwan, seen as a retaliatory measure against the government in Taipei which strongly rejects
01:23 China's claims of sovereignty over the self-ruled nation.
01:26 A positive response is becoming less likely. Beijing has made its displeasure clear that
01:47 the ruling Democratic Progressive Party here just won a third term in office.
01:53 For now, Taiwan businesses reliant on tourists from abroad will be looking for new ways,
01:58 like this train route, to get their industry back on track.
02:03 Devin Tai and Rick Glowat for Taiwan Plus.
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