Taipei International Travel Fair / Cross-Strait Travel Fair – High Interest Among Taiwanese Public

Reported by reporter You t
ru / Taipei

The ITF Taipei International Travel Fair is being held on the 1st and 2nd floors of Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 and in Hall 3. With growing cross-strait exchanges, the 8th Cross-Strait Taipei Travel Fair is also attracting more public attention. Through this platform that gathers exhibitors from various mainland provinces, Taiwanese visitors can not only obtain the most free materials but also get first-hand information in real time and communicate directly with mainland representatives. This year, the proportion of joint marketing efforts between mainland exhibition booths and Taiwanese businesses has also significantly increased, with exciting activities drawing crowds of attendees.


▲ The mainland pavilion, which previously attracted less attention, has also seen increased foot traffic this year. (Photo / Provided by the organizer)

Observations at the fair reveal that the travel brochures provided by the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association (CITE) this year are more compact and portable compared to the thick or large-format booklets offered in previous editions. They also include provincial maps, clearly targeting the independent travel market. Zhang Xuelao, chairman of the Cross-Strait Taipei Travel Fair, pointed out that in recent years, the growth rate of Taiwanese tourists traveling to the mainland has been limited and has not kept pace with the increase in cross-strait flights to 670 per week. This is partly because most flight seats are occupied by group tours, and also because travel agencies mainly focus on group packages rather than planning independent travel products.

After the implementation of China’s “Tourism Law,” the number of mainland tourists visiting Taiwan dropped sharply, freeing up more flight seat capacity, which also presents opportunities for Taiwanese travel agencies to develop independent travel options. Lai Jianzhang, manager of the Mainland China line at Huatai Travel, said that for the first time this year, they launched Shanghai independent travel packages during the fair, which were well received. Lin Jianfu, outbound department manager and controller of the Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Mainland China lines at Shunyi Travel, noted that inquiries about independent travel have noticeably increased—not just for popular cities like Shanghai, but also for places such as Changsha and Wuhan. Their booth at Fuxing even launched a one-dollar auction promotion, which received an enthusiastic response. Lin Minghua, senior manager of Lion Travel’s Mainland China and Hong Kong/Macau division, also commented that this year’s fair promoted destinations including Shanghai, Beijing, Haikou, Sanya, and Lijiang. Shanghai remains the top choice, indicating a higher level of interest among younger travelers.

Not only is independent travel growing in the outbound market, but independent travel from the mainland is also highly anticipated. Especially after the launch of China’s Tourism Law, the number of tourists visiting Taiwan has been revised downward, putting significant pressure on travel agencies and hotel operators alike. In this context, the independent travel segment—which is not affected by group tour pricing adjustments—has become a temporary breakthrough opportunity. Although the current daily quota for mainland visitors to Taiwan remains limited, it represents a steady and promising growth area with high repeat visit potential, making it a worthwhile focus for the Taiwanese market.