The Tourism Bureau yesterday welcomed the resumption of cross-strait tourism after China said it would reopen to visitors from Taiwan. However, the bureau emphasized that the discussions must be reciprocal.
While Taiwan is happy that Beijing has lifted its ban, the government had hoped the two sides could jointly announce the decision to open up, Tourism Bureau Director-General Chang Shi-chung (張錫聰) said.
Talks between Chinese and Taiwanese tourism associations could happen as soon as this month, Chang said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Cross-strait tourism requires further discussion on potential problems with tourism affairs and changes to scenic hotspots over the past three years, he said, adding that achieving greater mutual understanding would allow tourism policies on both sides to mesh better.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) in a statement yesterday said that Beijing “warmly welcomes Taiwan compatriots” to “see the beautiful scenery and recent developments” in China.
Taiwan still bars Taiwanese from traveling to China in tour groups. Taipei is not lifting that ban until tourism associations across the Taiwan Strait have had discussions, the Central News Agency reported.
Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Jan Jyh-horng (詹志宏) on Thursday said that the resumption of tourism was not a simple matter and cannot be handled unilaterally.
Many Taiwanese tourism agencies have either reorganized or closed over the past three years, he said, adding that the council has a list of 20 items it would need to discuss with China.
Traveling abroad should be a happy experience and authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should ensure that all obstacles are dealt with so that tourists can enjoy their trips, Jan said.
If China is willing to discuss the issue, the time frame for cross-strait travel should be relatively easy to resolve under existing mechanisms, especially as cross-strait travel has existed for more than a decade, he said.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism in March announced that foreign inbound tour groups could resume, three years after it closed all inbound travel because of COVID-19, but that the reopening did not apply to Taiwan.
A ban on individual Chinese tourists traveling to Taiwan — implemented in 2019 — remains in effect.
The Chinese government halted its tourism scheme that year ahead of the re-election of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), citing the state of cross-strait relations.
Earlier this month, Chinese Communist Party politburo member Wang Huning (王滬寧) called for improved cross-strait ties, saying that “exchanges should be restored and expanded step by step.”
“Friendship with people from all social strata in Taiwan should be cultivated,” he said.
Providence University Department of Tourism associate professor Hwang Cheng-tsung (黃正聰) said that the announcement to allow Taiwanese to contact Chinese travel agencies about tours was a letdown, as Taiwanese tourism businesses were expecting China to allow individuals or groups to visit Taiwan.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg and CNA
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