Taiwan’s Cabinet is drawing up plans for helping the tourism and transport industries weather the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The outbreak has seen transport links with China shut and cancelations rise. Taiwan’s tourism, hospitality, aviation, and transport sectors have all taken a hit as a result.
At a Cabinet meeting on Monday, officials advanced over ten proposals aimed at helping ease the economic squeeze on these sectors.
The proposals include tax benefits for tour bus operators, subsidies for training tourism industry workers, and subsidies to help cover businesses’ interest payments. Longer-term proposals would work to improve facilities at tourist sites and attract tourists from new markets.
Officials say the impact of the outbreak will be limited if it can be brought under control in the next two months. However, there are fears that Taiwan’s restaurant and service sectors could also take a hit if the outbreak continues beyond that.