1,100 mainland Chinese tourists visit Taiwan daily, up 2.3 times from last year

▲ From January to May this year, an average of 1,100 mainland Chinese tourists visit Taiwan independently per day. (Photo / Reporter Yao Nan-hung)

Reported by Travel Center / Taipei

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday (15th) that in the first half of this year, from January to May, the average number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan per day has reached 1,100, which is 2.3 times higher than the same period last year. The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association and the China Tourism Association for Cultural Exchanges across the Taiwan Straits have also reached a consensus to further open up 13 more cities for independent travel by mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan, including Wuhan, Shenyang, Zhengzhou, Shijiazhuang, Suzhou, Qingdao, Ningbo, Changchun, Changsha, Hefei, Quanzhou, Nanning, and Kunming.

Among them, Wuhan, Shenyang, Zhengzhou, Suzhou, Qingdao, and Ningbo will be opened in the first phase on June 28, while the remaining seven cities will be opened on August 28. To date, a total of 26 cities are open for independent travel by mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan.

The Tourism Bureau also announced that since the opening of independent travel for mainland Chinese tourists up to May this year, the total number of visitors has reached 387,396. Last year, the number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan independently was 191,148, averaging 522 per day. This year, from January to May alone, the average number has already reached 1,100 per day, marking an increase of 2.3 times. In addition, starting April 1 this year, the daily quota for mainland Chinese tourists applying to visit Taiwan has been raised from 1,000 to 2,000. With the upcoming opening of 13 new cities, it is expected to trigger another wave of tourism boom from mainland Chinese visitors to Taiwan.