A delegation consisting of more than 60 tourism officials from
the mainland is expected to arrive in Taiwan today for a 10-day
market inspection visit.
Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism
Administration (CNTA), is leading the
delegation on a tour of scenic spots and tourism facilities around
the island. For the purposes of this visit, Shao goes in his
capacity as chairman of the China Tourism Association, and at the
invitation of the Taiwan Visitors Association.
The visit is widely seen as a prelude to the complete opening of
Taiwan tourism to mainland tourists. The tourism market has been
partially closed to mainlanders since the political split in
1949.
"The aim of the visit is to inspect tourist routes, facilities
and services on the island, including specific scenic spots,
hotels, transport and shopping facilities as well as security,"
Zhang Jianzhong, spokesman for the CNTA, said at a news conference
yesterday.
The delegates are also expected to hold talks with
representatives of travel agents and tourism associations on
opening Taiwan to mainland tourists as soon as possible, Zhang
said.
"Delegates will not be meeting with Taiwan officials during
their visit," Zhang told reporters.
Cheng Yunlin, director of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
Taiwan Work Office, said in May that the office plans to relax
restrictions on tourists traveling to the island.
Currently, Taiwan only allows supervised groups of 15 to 40
tourists from the mainland on 10-day visas and limits arrival
numbers to 1,000 a day.
Although the exact date for the opening of Taiwan to tourists
from the mainland remains unknown, insiders reckon the market for
tourism is huge.
"We have been designing routes for 9-day, 10-day and 11-day
tours on the island since May, when the nation announced the
relaxation of restrictions on tourists traveling to Taiwan," an
official from the Beijing-based China CYTS Tours Holding Co Ltd
told China Daily in a telephone interview yesterday.
(China Daily October 28, 2005)