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China agrees to lift ban on tourists to Taiwan
Taipei, Nov 17: Hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists are expected to flock to Taiwan after Taipei and Beijing struck a deal lifting a ban on mainland holidaymakers, a report said today.
Taipei, Nov 17: Hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists are expected to flock to Taiwan after Taipei and Beijing struck a deal lifting a ban on mainland holidaymakers, a report said today.
The agreement was reached at a closed-door meeting in Taipei Friday between a group of Chinese officials, led by Sun Gang, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration, and Taiwan travel industry officials, the China Times said.
During the two-hour discussion, "Sun guaranteed that Beijing would add Taiwan to its list of overseas tourism sites as long as Taiwanese authorities ease its restrictions on Chinese tourists," it said.
Taiwan had already tried to boost the local tourist industry by easing a half-century ban on Chinese sightseers, allowing pleasure visits by those living overseas for more than four years and permitting those making overseas business trips to stop here via third places.
The agreement was reached at a closed-door meeting in Taipei Friday between a group of Chinese officials, led by Sun Gang, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration, and Taiwan travel industry officials, the China Times said.
During the two-hour discussion, "Sun guaranteed that Beijing would add Taiwan to its list of overseas tourism sites as long as Taiwanese authorities ease its restrictions on Chinese tourists," it said.
Taiwan had already tried to boost the local tourist industry by easing a half-century ban on Chinese sightseers, allowing pleasure visits by those living overseas for more than four years and permitting those making overseas business trips to stop here via third places.
But only around 1,000 mainland Chinese tourists have visited the island since Taipei allowed such visits earlier this year, according to the Chairman of Taiwan's Association of travel agents, Tseng Sheng-Hai.
Another 153,000 Chinese visited the island in the first nine months of this year for reasons such as family reunions, cultural and sports exchange programs, academic events and international conferences.
The paper said the Taiwan travel industry officials told Sun that the existing restrictions, imposed because of security considerations, would be lifted soon.
The tourism sector estimates that at least 300,000 Chinese tourists could visit Taiwan a year.
Bureau Report