Chinesepod - Taiwan setting up group to negotiate expanded tourism

CHINA / Taiwan, HK, Macao

Taiwan setting up group to negotiate expanded tourism
(AP)
Updated: 2006-08-25 13:39

TAIPEI - Taiwan will inaugurate a new organization to negotiate tourism
arrangements with the mainland, a senior official said Friday, expressing
the hope that more visitors from the mainland will begin arriving in the
island by the end of the year.

Joseph Wu, head of the cabinet-level "Mainland Affairs Council", said the
Taiwan Strait Traveling and Tourism Association will try to put into
practice Taiwan's long-standing policy of opening its doors to mainland
tourists.

"We hope to begin negotiations with the mainland on the issue as soon as
possible and I believe it could be implemented by the end of this year,"
Wu said.

The new Taiwanese organization is to act as a counterpart to a
semiofficial group China inaugurated early this month, he said.

Taiwan hopes Beijing will agree to list the island as an officially
approved tourism destination for mainlanders, Wu said. Lack of that
designation compels mainland tourists to arrive in the island from
another tourist destination, and to travel only in groups.

For its part, the mainland is pressing Taiwan to allow mainlanders to
arrive on the island on direct charter flights, instead of transiting
through Hong Kong or another third point. Taiwan has yet to agree to that
demand.

Both Taiwan and the mainland "have expressed the hope to expand tourism
and we feel the timing has become more ripe recently," Wu said. He did
not elaborate.

As part of Taiwan's tourist promotion activities for mainland visitors,
authorities are considering relaxing a number of restrictions, including
the exchange of the Chinese currency in Taiwan, Wu said.

According to the Mainland Affairs Council, 173,000 mainlanders came to
Taiwan last year, while 4.1 million Taiwanese visited the mainland.

Taiwan tourism promoters believe that a tourism agreement with the
mainland will bring about at least a doubling in the number of mainland
visitors during the first year.

Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours

Today's Top News 

� RMB gains before US Treasury Secretary's visit

� More peacekeepers head to Lebanon

� 75th anniversary of invasion marked

� Man rejects first penis transplant

� Female space tourist blasts off

Top China News 

� PBOC: 'Significant progress' made in currency reforms

� China, US agree to further strengthen bilateral ties

� IMF agrees to increase China's voting power

� China blasts US accusation on religious freedom

� China to better help LDSs out of poverty

Alibaba is the largest B2B marketplace in the world. Source model ship,
wooden puzzle, one-piece toilet, RC hovercraft, photo album, prom dress,
pocket bike, Vaginal Speculum, Samurai Sword, String Panty and PVC Pipe.

Learn Chinese, Chinesepod