TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Travel Agent Association, along with representatives of leading domestic travel companies, delivered a petition to the Tourism Bureau on Monday (Nov. 25) calling for the lifting of a ban on group travel to China.

Tourism Bureau Travel and Training Division Director Tang Wen-chi (湯文琦) accepted the petition. Tang said she would review the petition and travel agent recommendations and later share information with concerned parties if there is any change in government policy, per CNA.

Travel agents said it has been two years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Taiwan continues to prohibit group travel to China. Travel agents believe the ban continues because the number of Chinese tourists to Taiwan does not offset the number of Taiwanese visiting China. 

In February, Taiwan canceled plans to resume group travel because Chinese counterparts were uncooperative and not making sufficient moves to reciprocate. Furthermore, Taiwan was angered by China's unilateral decision to alter flight routes near Taiwan.

Taiwan did allow those who had pre-paid for group travel tours to China between March 1 and May 31 to proceed with their planned itinerary. However, group tours to China have been banned since June 1.

Legislators have stepped forward to push for more bilateral tourism. Legislative caucuses from the KMT and TPP have proposed lifting the ban on group travel and allowing Chinese tourists to Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu.

Representatives of Taiwan’s tourism industry continue to encourage the government to speed up communication with Chinese counterparts for group tourism to China and open the domestic market to Chinese tourists, which they believe will allow Taiwan to reach its full-year target of 10 million tourists.