People in Guangzhou can take vacations to Taiwan from today, Southern Daily reported.

Two travel agencies in Guangzhou have been authorized to accept applications, the report said.

More than 8,000 people have booked trips to Taiwan at China Travel International Ltd (Guangdong) and another 6,000 have signed up at GZL International Travel Service Ltd, the newspaper said.

Both agencies received invitations from Taiwan to study future trip itineraries in Taiwan for mainland tourists, the newspaper said.

The National Tourism Administration informed three other travel agencies in Guangdong to prepare for launching trips to the island province.

Two agencies said tour packages will cover major cities and scenic sites. Taipei, Hualien, Kaohsiung, Taitung and Sun Moon Lake were reportedly on the list, according to the newspaper.

From June 11 to 14, the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait will hold talks on mainland tourist travel to Taiwan as well as cross-strait chartered flights on the weekend.

SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kun said he "expected that the chairmen of the two sides could sign an agreement on related issues on June 13".

Charter flights between mainland and Taiwan started on Tuesday for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Nineteen round-trip flights across the Taiwan Strait were arranged between June 3 and 15.

Shanghai has 14 round-trip charter flights, which are expected to carry 6,000 passengers. Beijing, Guangzhou and Xiamen will also have direct flights to Taiwan during that period.

(Shanghai Daily June 5, 2008)