Mainland and Taiwan discuss individual tours
Source: Xinhua |
August 16, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Chinese mainland supports individual tourist travel to Taiwan, but wants time to prepare for possible large tourist flows, a senior mainland official said yesterday.
"We are positive about allowing individual mainland tourists to travel to Taiwan, but a lot of work must be done before that," said Shao Qiwei, president of the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association.
He said no timetable was in place for the policy change, although Taiwan authorities said in July they were considering lifting the ban by the end of the year.
The two sides would have to amend a travel agreement signed in June 2008 as it only covered package tours, said Shao, also head of the National Tourism Administration, while attending the Taipei Cross-Strait Travel Fair in Taiwan, which ends today.
Tourism authorities have to research individual travel procedures and provide quality services as, unlike package tourists, individuals would travel independently without support from travel agencies, he said.
After both sides research the proposals, the mainland would start a trial run in some cities where people have higher incomes, he said. "Only when we do all the work on individual travelers will we see favorable results on both sides and make people happy."
Since July 2008, Taiwan has allowed mainland tourists to visit on package tours. A total of 600,000 mainlanders visited Taiwan last year and this year's figure is expected to reach 1.5 million.
Dai Bin, president of the mainland-based China Tourism Academy, said that at first mainland tourists would like to see as many attractions as possible in one visit, but gradually they would want to try more relaxed tours.
"Traveling as individuals will also allow mainlanders to discover the real life of Taiwan. It will be the right direction for cross-Strait tourism," he said.
"We are positive about allowing individual mainland tourists to travel to Taiwan, but a lot of work must be done before that," said Shao Qiwei, president of the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association.
He said no timetable was in place for the policy change, although Taiwan authorities said in July they were considering lifting the ban by the end of the year.
The two sides would have to amend a travel agreement signed in June 2008 as it only covered package tours, said Shao, also head of the National Tourism Administration, while attending the Taipei Cross-Strait Travel Fair in Taiwan, which ends today.
Tourism authorities have to research individual travel procedures and provide quality services as, unlike package tourists, individuals would travel independently without support from travel agencies, he said.
After both sides research the proposals, the mainland would start a trial run in some cities where people have higher incomes, he said. "Only when we do all the work on individual travelers will we see favorable results on both sides and make people happy."
Since July 2008, Taiwan has allowed mainland tourists to visit on package tours. A total of 600,000 mainlanders visited Taiwan last year and this year's figure is expected to reach 1.5 million.
Dai Bin, president of the mainland-based China Tourism Academy, said that at first mainland tourists would like to see as many attractions as possible in one visit, but gradually they would want to try more relaxed tours.
"Traveling as individuals will also allow mainlanders to discover the real life of Taiwan. It will be the right direction for cross-Strait tourism," he said.
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