New Taipei Helps Manufacturers Transform into Tourist Factories: Up to 1.5 Million Yuan in Subsidies

In view of the structural transformation of Taiwan's industries and the growing popularity of leisure tourism, and to help traditional factories in the region transform into tourist-oriented operations, the Economic Development Department of New Taipei City has, since the 98th year of the Republic of China (2009), launched the "New Taipei City Industrial Tourism Counseling Program," providing suggestions for software and hardware improvement planning as well as hardware subsidies, and actively counseling New Taipei City factories to transform into tourist factories and industrial culture halls. This year's (2018) counseling program is accepting applications from now until June 15, and applicants may have the chance to receive up to 1.5 million yuan in hardware renovation subsidies. New Taipei City factories are warmly welcome to apply.

New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu stated that this year marks the 10th year of the city government's promotion of industrial tourism. At present, New Taipei City has a total of 23 tourist factories and industrial culture halls, with diverse operating features and types, and many themes are the only ones of their kind nationwide, available only in New Taipei City. In addition, as of the end of April this year, New Taipei City already has 1 international highlight tourist factory and 4 excellent tourist factories selected by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and 6 more have foreign-language guided tour capabilities. Furthermore, the city government is the first nationwide to launch comprehensive transformation counseling services. In addition to arranging professional business counseling teams to provide software and hardware transformation planning such as theme planning, site circulation routes and spatial displays, it also actively combines hardware subsidies and integrates resources across bureaus for joint marketing, leading tourist factories into the leisure tourism market through a team-based approach.

The Economic Development Department added that over the years, after traditional manufacturers have transformed into tourist factories or industrial culture halls, in addition to preserving industrial value and enhancing brand awareness, their revenue can on average increase by at least 20%. Business owners interested in transformation are welcome to join the ranks of tourist factories or industrial culture halls.