TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mainland Affairs Council said that discussions on China’s proposed tour group visits will be conducted through existing cross-strait tourism associations to ensure smooth exchanges.
The council emphasized last Friday that cross-strait tourism has been suspended for years, per CNA. It said matters related to “familiarization trips” to Taiwan should be handled through the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association (TSTA) and the Association For Tourism Exchange Across The Taiwan Straits (ATETS).
The ATETS, led by the China Tourism Association, focuses on coordinating tourism negotiations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan established the TSTA for similar purposes.
The statement follows China’s Taiwan Affairs Office's confirmation last Friday that tour groups from Fujian and Shanghai had applied to visit Taiwan for inspection purposes. The TSTA will soon contact the ATETS to discuss the trips, the MAC said.
On Jan. 17, China revealed plans to resume group tours to Taiwan for Fujian and Shanghai residents, with preparations underway. It expressed hopes for improved communication between tourism industries to ensure quality services.
However, the MAC reiterated that cross-strait tourism should only resume after talks between the TSTA and ATETS. Details such as tour operators and itineraries require discussion.
Taiwan has expressed its ongoing willingness to welcome Chinese tourists since cross-strait travel was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both independent and group travel have remained largely suspended by Chinese authorities for over four years.
China announced in May last year that it would resume inbound travel for Taiwanese tourists. Four months later, it confirmed that Chinese tourists could visit the outlying Kinmen and Matsu islands again.
