According to the latest statistics from the Beijing Tourism Administration, the number of Taiwan travelers coming to the capital increased by 40 percent in the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year. It shows that Taiwan travelers choose Beijing as their favorite tourist destination. As a result, the Beijing municipal government will apply more preferential measures to attract Taiwan travelers in the second half of this year.

The administration is working closely with four Taiwan travel agencies Richmond Tours, Set Tours, Cola Tours and Phoenix Tours, and has created five attractive themed tours specially for the Taiwan market introducing sights of interests and new look of Beijing.

Travelers can live in five-star hotels and taste imperial cuisine in a top luxurious tour; visit the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Olympic Games sites in a special tour of Beijing; explore 10 great museums with their children in a family tour; ride bicycles on the Olympic competition course and around the city; enjoy food from all over the world and relax in a top-class spa and shop in fancy malls in a business tour.

Besides the five carefully-customized tours, the administration offers discount coupons for 21 five-star hotels such as Beijing Hotel, Beijing International Hotel, Aman at Summer Palace, Great Wall Commune and so on. Discounts range as high as 80 percent off.

According to the latest statistics of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau of “the Ministry of Transportation and Communications”, Taiwan travelers to the mainland have topped 4.4 million. Instead of Japan and Hong Kong, mainland China has become the first choice in Asia for Taiwan travelers.

(China.org.cn by Ren Zhongxi, August 7, 2009)