New tourism opportunities for mainlanders to visit
Taiwan will benefit the island's tertiary sector and people,
the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said on
Friday.
The mainland is ready to talk with the Taiwan side on the issue
of opening tourism to Taiwan for mainland residents, said agency
spokesman Zhang Jianzhong.
Once an agreement is reached, traveling to Taiwan will be
conducted in a planned, gradual and orderly manner, he said.
For example, the number of tourists from the mainland will be
made compatible to the receiving capacities and conditions of the
Taiwan side, Zhang told a press conference.
"We hope the Taiwan side will authorize, as soon as possible, a
civil tourism organ to hold consultations with the mainland on the
opening of the trip to Chinese mainland residents," he said.
The opening of such trips will be a boon for Taiwan's tertiary
sector and a boost for the exchange and understanding of people
across the Straits, he said.
"It will bring concrete benefits to the general public in Taiwan
as well," Zhang added.
The good-will statement raised high anticipations among mainland
travelers, bringing closer to reality their seeing long-dreamt-of
sights on the island -- the picturesque Alishan Mountain and the
Sun Moon Lake (Riyuetan), to name just two.
Dun Jidong, an official with the China International Travel Service
(CITS), said his agency
has received numberless inquiries from travelers over the past
years, asking when they could make trips to Taiwan.
"Now we will be preparing such travels by planning tour lines
and other arrangements," he said.
Agencies interested
In Guangzhou, a CITS branch official said a number of tourist
agencies in Taiwan have showed great interest and had been talking
with officials in recent days.
Zeng Guanghua, vice general manager of the Guangdong CITS Co
Ltd, said they have arranged tour lines which include the scenic
spots along the coast of the island.
Spokesman Zhang said the civil China Tourism Association will be
authorized to make consultations with an organization in the Taiwan
tourism industry.
Although the mainland has always supported expanding personnel
exchanges across the Straits, and millions of Taiwan people have
visited the mainland as tourists, ordinary mainland residents have
been denied trips due to restrictions by the Taiwan
authorities.
As early as January 1, 1979, the Standing Committee of the
National People's Congress expressed in a letter to Taiwan
compatriots the hope that the mainland residents would be allowed
to travel to Taiwan as soon as possible, according to Zhang.
(China Daily May 21, 2005)