Mainland Chinese independent travelers gain access to 10 more cities; departures possible as early as August

▲ The number of mainland Chinese visitors to Taiwan has been hitting record highs. (Photo / Reporter Chen Rui-zhong)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The number of tourists visiting Taiwan has been hitting record highs, surpassing 8 million in 2013. Recently, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced the fourth wave of mainland cities approved for independent travel to Taiwan. The official list has now been released, including 10 cities such as Harbin, Guiyang, Wuxi, and Nanchang, with departures expected to commence as early as August.

Since restrictions on independent travel from mainland China were eased last year, the number of visitors has risen month by month. According to immigration statistics, there were already 520,000 visitors in 2013 alone. Combined with tour groups, mainland tourists have gradually become one of Taiwan’s major sources of tourism revenue. To aim for over 1 million independent mainland visitors this year, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications originally intended to open up 15 cities at once, prioritizing second- and third-tier cities already served by direct cross-strait flights. However, after cross-strait negotiations, the final number was reduced to 10.

The 10 cities confirmed for the fourth wave of openings are: Taiyuan, Zhangzhou, Wenzhou, Harbin, Dalian, Yantai, Guiyang, Wuxi, Nanchang, and Zhongshan. Among them, Harbin—with a population of 10 million—is the largest city included in this round. Together with the cities already open, a total of 37 mainland cities will soon be eligible for independent travel applications to Taiwan.