To encourage the public to actively participate in sports events, and to respond to the ‘New Life Campaign for Epidemic Prevention’ after the reduction in the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak, the SA has specially allocated NT$ 2 billion from the Sports Development Fund and used these funds to distribute 4 million ‘Sports Vouchers’ worth NT$ 500 each. These vouchers can be used at relevant sports industries, for sports venues, watching sports events, participating in sports activities, purchasing sporting goods, encouraging the public to support sport, and thereby driving a new trend of sports business opportunities and stimulating the development of the sports industry.

The ‘Sports Vouchers’ are provided for the public’s consumption in the form of electronic coupons (e-wallets). From August 8, 2020 to January 31, 2021, members of the public who won the draw can use the QR Code of the ‘Sports Vouchers’ to go to stores registered by the operators on the website of the ‘Sports Vouchers’. For details, please refer to the website of the ‘Sports Vouchers’ (500.gov.tw).

From July 20 to July 26, 2020, the program was commenced for public registration, and a total of 6,987,263 members of the public obtained the qualification for drawing lots. On July 28, 2020, under the witness of lawyers, 4 million vouchers were publicly drawn by systematic random numbers (random numbers of seeds were selected by darts thrown by contestants).

Statistics on the use of ‘Sports Vouchers’, as of September 10, 2020, there are: 3,195,338 members of the public who have received the vouchers, 7,035 cooperative operators, 1,704,848 transactions, a transaction amount of NT$ 1,784,736,972, and the offset amount of NT$ 806,320,413.

 It is expected that through the relevant stimulation measures of ‘the Sports Industry Stimulation Program-Sports Vouchers’, sports consumption will be expanded, sports industries will be assisted to overcome the challenges caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, and the value of sports consumption will be further boosted (NT$ 2 billion will create NT$ 4 billion). 

Through this measure, the public’s sports consumption expenditure preference is actually investigated, and this statistical information on the demand side of the sports industry will be understood, thereby further establishing the sports industry database, which is beneficial to decision-making for industries, academia, and government agencies.