Taiwan travel rights loosened
Source: Xinhua |
February 28, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AUTHORITIES on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will allow residents from more mainland cities to visit the island as individual tourists this year, a Chinese mainland spokeswoman said yesterday.
Expanding the list of eligible cities will be done in a prudent, step-by-step manner, Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in Beijing.
The mainland's Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Strait and the island's Taiwan Strait Tourism Association will work out the details, Fan said.
The associations said they will focus on travel safety and the quality of tourist services for mainland visitors.
Asked to comment on Taiwan's proposal to open two small military-controlled islands close to the mainland, Fan said the opening of more scenic sites would be a good thing for both sides and beneficial to further exchanges.
An overall ban on mainlanders traveling to the island was lifted by Taiwanese authorities in July 2008. However, mainlanders at that time could only travel to the island as part of tightly run tour groups, business trips, academic visits and trips related to family affairs.
Taiwan first opened the door to individual tourists from mainland cities on June 28, 2011. However, this was limited to residents of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.
The list of eligible cities was expanded to 13 on April 1, 2012.
The mainland was the largest source of tourists to Taiwan last year, accounting for 36 percent of all visitors.
Expanding the list of eligible cities will be done in a prudent, step-by-step manner, Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in Beijing.
The mainland's Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Strait and the island's Taiwan Strait Tourism Association will work out the details, Fan said.
The associations said they will focus on travel safety and the quality of tourist services for mainland visitors.
Asked to comment on Taiwan's proposal to open two small military-controlled islands close to the mainland, Fan said the opening of more scenic sites would be a good thing for both sides and beneficial to further exchanges.
An overall ban on mainlanders traveling to the island was lifted by Taiwanese authorities in July 2008. However, mainlanders at that time could only travel to the island as part of tightly run tour groups, business trips, academic visits and trips related to family affairs.
Taiwan first opened the door to individual tourists from mainland cities on June 28, 2011. However, this was limited to residents of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen.
The list of eligible cities was expanded to 13 on April 1, 2012.
The mainland was the largest source of tourists to Taiwan last year, accounting for 36 percent of all visitors.
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