A delegations of 33 travel agency managers began an inspection tour of Taiwan on Tuesday, Taiwan-based media reported.

The group will inspect tourism facilities following an agreement last week on mainland tourist travel to the island, Fan Guishang, head of the delegation was quoted as saying.

Fan, also deputy secretary of the mainland based Cross-Strait Tourism Association said they would have extensive contact with Taiwan's tourism industry and lay a sound foundation for exchanges and cooperation.

On Monday, the delegation visited the National Palace Museum in Taipei at the start of their ten-day visit.

The mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation signed an agreement on Friday that opened the island to mainland tourists.

The agreement, taking effect on June 20, will see the arrival of the first tour group to Taiwan next month.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2008)