Taiwan’s tourism and transport sectors face inter-connected challenges spanning multiple regulatory domains and government agencies. From mobility service frameworks to international visitor experiences, vehicle import standards to tourism facility development, and EV charging infrastructure to road safety and efficiency modernization — these issues share common barriers: fragmented governance, outdated regulations, and insufficient infrastructure coordination designed for different eras and needs. Yet they also present opportunities for enhanced coordination and regulatory modernization to better serve evolving needs.

Industry experience demonstrates how fragmented authority creates systemic inefficiencies. Companies navigating approval processes sometimes encounter situations in which jurisdictional boundaries between agencies are unclear, requiring engagement with multiple authorities to identify the appropriate pathway forward. While Taiwan’s government agencies demonstrate a strong commitment to safety and regulatory compliance, enhanced horizontal coordination mechanisms could shorten approval timelines and provide clearer guidance, particularly when introducing innovative solutions or comprehensive infrastructure projects spanning multiple regulatory domains. Strengthening cross-agency collaboration would enable the government to capture opportunities for integrated solutions that simultaneously serve multiple policy objectives. As Taiwan advances the U.S.-Taiwan Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) and deepens economic partnerships, efficient regulatory coordination becomes increasingly important to facilitate cross-border commerce and demonstrate Taiwan’s capacity for effective governance.

Effective policy outcomes require cross-ministerial collaboration and systematic infrastructure planning. Enabling mobility innovation, enhancing international visitor experiences, facilitating trade, and building sustainable transport systems all require cross-ministerial collaboration. Progress depends on government agencies working horizontally: aligning standards, streamlining procedures, coordinating infrastructure development, and modernizing frameworks in concert rather than in silos. Cross-agency coordination mechanisms enable the government to leverage synergies, avoid duplicative efforts, and deliver integrated solutions that serve citizens more broadly and efficiently, while supporting Taiwan’s expanding international economic engagement.

The Committee urges the government to prioritize coordinated regulatory reform with strong inter-agency mechanisms and infrastructure planning, ensuring Taiwan’s transport and tourism sectors can serve citizens, visitors, and businesses efficiently while advancing sustainability and accessibility objectives. The following recommendations address areas requiring government action.

Suggestion 1: Strengthen Taiwan-U.S. trade relations by harmonizing vehicle standards and streamlining customs procedures.

1.1   Expand the range of U.S.-specification vehicles eligible for import to enhance market diversity. The ART concluded between the United States and Taiwan earlier this year includes provisions for zero tariffs and simplified certification for U.S.-made vehicles compliant with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). However, the English version of the agreement uses the term “vehicle,” which encompasses passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and motorcycles, while the Chinese-language version specifies only “passenger car.” This discrepancy risks excluding non-passenger vehicle categories during implementation, leading to inconsistent regulatory treatment and limiting the intended reciprocal benefits of the agreement.

The Committee therefore urges the Executive Yuan and Ministry of Transportation and Communications to align implementation with the full scope of the agreement as follows:

1. 1. Expand the scope of application. Explicitly include all vehicle types, such as passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, mixed-use vehicles, and motorcycles, to ensure consistency with the definition of “vehicle” in the agreement.
   2. Harmonize regulatory treatment. For import applications of U.S.-spec commercial vehicles and motorcycles, adopt the same model used for passenger cars, fully accepting documentation based on FMVSS.

1.2   Remove additional documentation requirements for U.S.-manufactured products that comply with recognized international certification. Pursuant to Article 3.2 of the ART, Taiwan has committed to accept test reports and certificates issued by conformity assessment bodies identified under mutual recognition arrangements with the United States.

However, recent policy announcements indicate inconsistencies in these commitments. A February 13, 2026, press release by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) indicates that U.S.-spec vehicles, while compliant with FMVSS, are still required to obtain separate domestic certifications for energy efficiency from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and on emissions and noise the Ministry of Environment prior to market entry. These requirements are inconsistent with Article 3.2 and the automotive provisions of the agreement, which eliminate additional conformity assessment procedures for qualifying U.S.-spec products.

The Committee therefore urges the government to align review existing regulatory measures with ART commitments, eliminating redundant certification requirements and ensuring that U.S.-spec products meeting recognized standards are not subject to additional domestic certification or documentation.

1.3   Remove express shipment quota restrictions to align with ART commitments. The ART provides that express shipments from the United States may benefit from simplified entry procedures without being subject to numerical limits. However, current regulations impose a “frequent importer” restriction on the use of duty exemption under Article 49, Paragraph 2 of the Customs Act, based on thresholds defined by the Ministry of Finance.

This restriction is inconsistent with Taiwan’s commitments under Article 2.14 of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and may limit the intended facilitation of cross-border trade. The Committee urges the MOF and the Taiwan Customs Administration to remove the frequent importer quota restriction and ensure that express shipment procedures are fully aligned with ART commitments.

Suggestion 2: Elevate Taiwan’s tourism industry through integrated development and coordinated policy support.

The Committee commends the Taiwan government’s outstanding efforts in enhancing international tourism competitiveness in recent years, notably through the “Taiwan Tourism 2030 White Paper” and the recent “Tropic of Cancer Peak Flagship Project: Smile South Taiwan.” These initiatives clearly demonstrate the government’s resolve to establish Taiwan as a premier destination in Asian tourism.

While the policy blueprints and objectives are well-defined, Taiwan’s tourism sector continues to face significant challenges in achieving world-class standards, particularly due to regulatory fragmentation and approval complexity. The Committee proposes the following concrete measures to bolster development.

2.1   Designate integrated-resort development as a priority national project and establish a cross-ministerial task force to promote it. We recommend that the National Development Council incorporate integrated-resort development into the 2026-2029 program to develop tourism areas along and south of the Tropic of Cancer and coordinate implementation across relevant ministries. In addition, the Executive Yuan should establish a cross-ministerial project office to serve as a single-window to identify regulatory barriers, coordinate agency responsibilities, and accelerate the environmental impact assessment review process.

2.2   Strengthen investment incentives and talent attraction. The Committee urges the government to provide targeted tax incentives and financing support for build-operate-transfer (BOT) and public-private partnership projects to improve investment viability in integrated resorts. We also suggest expanding eligibility criteria for the Employment Gold Card to facilitate recruitment of international talent in tourism planning, development, and management.

2.3   Streamline environmental impact assessment processes for large-scale resort developments. Fragmented review processes between the central and local government levels and limited project-specific support contribute to extended timelines and delays in zoning and project implementation. Government facilitation of early engagement with local environmental stakeholders would help expedite environmental impact assessment reviews, improving efficiency while maintaining environmental oversight.

2.4   Strengthen transportation infrastructure connectivity to support integrated tourism development. Potential integrated resort sites will be viable only if supported by convenient transportation infrastructure across land, sea, and air.  For example:

• • Land: Expand connectivity MRT and High-Speed Rail lines, while optimizing existing highway shuttle services.
  • Sea: Develop Kaohsiung Port as a cruise homeport to enable international yacht routes and berthing infrastructure.
  • Air: Expand international flight capacity by enabling 24-hour operations at Kaohsiung International Airport and consider additional airport infrastructure.

2.5   Strengthen cross-ministerial regulatory frameworks to support tourism-related investment and services. For example, the MOF could establish duty-free and free-trade zones to support tourism-related commerce; the National Immigration Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs could streamline entry procedures through expanded e-visa systems and other visa facilitation.

With the proposed regulatory and infrastructure reforms in place, sites with established development foundations — such as the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area — would be well-positioned to serve as early demonstration projects.

Suggestion 3: Modernize mobility options through public-private partnerships to advance digital services.

Existing regulatory frameworks limit the deployment of digital mobility solutions — the integration of digital technologies such as smartphone apps, AI, and connectivity into transportation. The Committee therefore recommends establishing structured public-private partnerships between the MOTC and industry to support controlled testing, regulatory alignment, and evidence-based policy development, while maintaining appropriate oversight. Priority areas include:

3.1   Modernize market entry and pricing frameworks to improve service availability and efficiency. Outdated taxi license caps and inflexible pricing structures fail to meet citizens’ dynamic mobility needs, creating service gaps while preventing efficient balancing of supply and demand. In an era in which technology enables real-time demand response, these restrictions cause unnecessary service unavailability during peak periods and waste resources during low-demand times.

Through structured government-platform dialogue, stakeholder consultation, and creation of a dedicated government task force, the authorities would be able to collaboratively develop evidence-based approaches to respond to market needs. Examples include mechanisms to adjust taxi license-plate quotas based on demand patterns and introducing pricing flexibility, such as surcharges and dynamic pricing within consumer protection parameters.

In addition, we suggest that the government authorize the deployment of digital, app-based metering systems utilizing GPS technology, often categorized as “smart taximeters” or “soft meters,” to facilitate payment processing and alignment integrated with digital trip-planning tools. These measures would improve market responsiveness while maintaining consumer safeguards.

3.2   Update fleet structure definitions to recognize digital service models. Current fleet definitions under the “Regulations Governing the Management of Automobile Transportation Businesses” and related provisions reflect traditional operating models and do not accommodate digital coordination systems that support service traceability, driver accountability, and passenger safety. We propose that the government revise relevant legal definitions through structured consultation with industry stakeholders to accommodate diverse service models while maintaining appropriate safety, quality, and oversight standards.

3.3   Enable cross-jurisdictional operations to improve service continuity and efficiency. Territorial restrictions limit cross-city transport services, reducing efficiency and creating service gaps for users whose travel spans multiple municipal jurisdictions. These constraints cause operational inefficiencies and exacerbate such problems as driver shortages and route disruptions.

The government should modernize regulatory frameworks to enable cross-jurisdictional operations and routing flexibility, while supporting the development of demand-responsive transit services to improve service coverage and resource allocation, particularly in underserved areas.

3.4   Establish an autonomous-vehicle regulatory sandbox to support controlled commercial deployment. While large-scale autonomous vehicle deployment is still in development, early regulatory preparation is necessary to enable future adoption. Taiwan has established a foundation for that adoption through the Unmanned Vehicles Technology Innovation Experimentation Act and ongoing testing and safety frameworks.

We urge the government to build on this foundation by establishing a regulatory sandbox that enables pilot programs for autonomous-vehicle applications in commercial passenger services under defined safety protocols. This approach would ease the transition from testing to practical deployment, facilitate evidence-based regulatory development, and strengthen Taiwan’s readiness for future mobility technologies.

3.5   Accelerate commercial-vehicle electrification through targeted incentives and partnership frameworks. Commercial vehicles, including buses and taxis, have higher utilization rates than private vehicles, making their electrification a high-impact pathway for emissions reduction. However, current incentive structures do not fully support the economic viability of large-scale fleet transition, particularly in the absence of sufficient economic incentives to offset upfront investment costs.

The government could strengthen incentive frameworks by increasing targeted subsidies for commercial-vehicle electrification and introducing usage-based incentives such as priority lane access, designated loading zones, and operational benefits, to support adoption. These measures should be complemented by public-private partnerships that facilitate implementation through operational support, driver engagement, and data-sharing mechanisms.

Suggestion 4: Improve the international visitor experience through coordinated planning and service enhancements.

Taiwan aims to attract nine million international visitors in 2026, but structural and operational gaps continue to affect the visitor experience. Addressing these gaps through coordinated policy action will strengthen Taiwan’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination.

4.1   Strengthen cross-government coordination and implementation for tourism development. Achieving national tourism targets will require stronger cross-ministerial coordination and alignment between policy design and implementation. It would help for government to establish a centralized coordination mechanism to lead planning and execution, with clear accountability and implementation structure. We suggest the following:

• • Assign a dedicated Minister without Portfolio to head a taskforce to ensure effective cross-government coordination.
  • Set a clear strategic goal and devise a staged execution plan with quarterly review procedures to ensure consistent alignment with the strategic objective.
  • Conduct regular dialogue with industry stakeholders to build broad support for proposed measures and to ensure that plans are practical.

4.2   Modernize airport ground transportation services to improve the arrival experience. Airport ground transportation is often the first point of contact for international visitors. The current system, which relies on queue-based dispatch and limited operator participation, results in long wait times, few service options, and inconsistent service quality.

The Committee welcomes the MOTC’s efforts to introduce e-hail taxi services at airports as an important step toward modernizing the current system. However, without consistent implementation across all international airports, the overall impact on visitor experience remains limited. The government should build on this progress by ensuring the deployment of technology-enabled ground transportation services across all of Taiwan’s international airports, improving service availability, reducing wait times, and enhancing the overall arrival experience for international travelers.

4.3   Expand international payment accessibility across the tourism journey. International visitor spending is an important contributor to Taiwan’s economy, but gaps in payment accessibility continue to affect convenience and the overall visitor experience. The government has made meaningful progress in expanding the use of digital payments, including the adoption of contactless standard cards across MRT systems in Taiwan’s major cities.

The Committee recommends that relevant government agencies strengthen international payment accessibility through the following measures:

• • Require airport taxis, city buses, and intercity buses to accept open-loop EMV credit and debit cards, including foreign-issued cards.
  • Expand foreign card acceptance in healthcare settings to improve access and support the development of medical and wellness tourism.
  • Incorporate foreign-card acceptance into evaluation or incentive criteria under relevant government programs.

4.4   Facilitate regional talent mobility for multinational corporate events. Taiwan’s robust visa-exempt program successfully attracts top-tier U.S. and European business travelers. However, American multinational corporations (MNCs) increasingly operate highly integrated, diverse regional teams across Asia. Currently, bringing vetted engineers and executives who hold passports from non-visa-exempt jurisdictions to Taiwan for crucial internal off-sites requires navigating a disproportionately complex, multi-agency sponsorship process.

When these companies cannot reliably secure short-term entry for their complete global teams, they are forced to relocate high-yield corporate events to competing hubs like Singapore or Tokyo, depriving Taiwan’s MICE sector of vital revenue.

To enhance economic competitiveness, the Committee recommends implementing a “Trusted Corporate Sponsor” fast-track mechanism. By allowing verified businesses and enterprises to act as trusted guarantors for their direct regional employees’ short-term entry into business, Taiwan can streamline inter-agency approvals while maintaining rigorous national security standards. This leverages the sponsoring U.S. corporations’ stringent compliance framework, seamlessly attracting high-value corporate tourism.

Suggestion 5: Modernize building and transport regulations to support electric vehicle infrastructure and road safety standards.

5.1   Require sufficient technical specifications for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in new buildings. Taiwan’s electric vehicle (EV) market is growing rapidly. According to the Highway Bureau of the MOTC, the number of registered Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) exceeded 130,000 as of 2025. A 2023 survey by the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) indicates that up to 80% of EV owners rely on home charging.

Since the National Land Management Agency incorporated EV charging equipment requirements into Article 62 of the “Building Design and Construction” chapter under the Building Technical Regulations in 2019, new buildings have been mandated to reserve installation space for EV charging equipment. However, the regulations do not specify the nominal diameter standards for the conduits used in EV charger wiring. In practice, some developers have reserved conduits with outer diameters as small as 18–22 mm. This renders it impossible for subsequent residents to install a 7kW charger (it requires a 28mm conduit to accommodate 3 conductors plus one ground wire) in compliance with Taipower’s requirements on new buildings’ EV charging system, thereby creating significant barriers to installation.

The Committee recommends amending Paragraph 4 of Article 62 to explicitly require a minimum nominal conduit diameter of 28 mm for pre-embedded wiring conduits. Furthermore, the reserved space should accommodate distribution panels, wiring, and accessibility for persons with disabilities, while aligning with Taipower’s requirements for new building power systems and the relevant provisions of the Regulations for Installation of User’s Electricity Device.

5.2   Transition to all-weather and sustainable retroreflective road markings. In recent years, serious traffic accidents and associated social costs have drawn increasing attention, making road safety a key public priority. Current road-marking regulations and materials are increasingly misaligned with evolving safety requirements and environmental conditions. The Committee asks the government to review existing standards and align them with international practices to ensure road user safety.

5.2.1        Adjust and implement road marking standards to ensure performance-based safety outcomes. Current markings are primarily hot-mix markings governed by Chinese National Standards (CNS), which govern material composition and performance of road markings. However, existing standards do not adequately ensure retroreflective performance under varying environmental conditions. CNS1333 specifies glass bead content during application but does not require functional testing of retroreflective performance after installation. CNS4342 requires a refractive index of at least 1.5 but does not account for performance differences under dry and wet conditions, which are necessary to maintain visibility in rainy environments.

These limitations create safety risks, particularly during nighttime and adverse weather conditions. The government should incorporate CNS15834 road marking performance standards into current road construction specifications, alongside existing CNS1333 and CNS4342 requirements, to ensure that markings meet functional safety and visibility needs.

5.2.2        Align with international standards and industry trends. Preformed road markings with wet and dry retroreflective performance improve visibility, durability, and installation efficiency compared to conventional methods, directly supporting road safety outcomes and reducing lifecycle maintenance and operational costs. We urge the government to update regulatory frameworks to enable the adoption of higher-performance materials that align with evolving safety and sustainability requirements in terms of safety, durability, efficient installation, and sustainability.

Regulatory frameworks should enable the adoption of higher-performance road marking materials to ensure safety standards are not compromised by cost-driven procurement practices.