TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC, 陸委會) on Tuesday (Nov. 26) emphasized that Taiwanese travelers to mainland China outnumbered mainland visitors to Taiwan 7.2 times from January to September this year. The council attributed the obstruction in cross-strait tourism exchanges to mainland China's policies and urged travel agents to avoid spreading misinformation.
A day earlier, the Travel Agent Association of R.O.C., Taiwan (中華民國旅行商業同業公會全國聯合會), along with local travel associations, petitioned the Tourism Bureau to lift the ban on group tours to mainland China. The MAC clarified that the primary hindrance to cross-strait tourism lies in mainland China's reluctance to allow visitors to Taiwan, not due to Taiwanese government restrictions on outbound travel.
The Tourism Bureau's statistics revealed that approximately 164,000 Taiwanese joined organized tours to mainland China from March to October, indicating no governmental limitations on such travel. The MAC stressed the importance of monitoring Taiwanese travelers' safety risks and travel quality while considering enhanced safety measures.
Mainland China's announcement of new guidelines for "punishing Taiwan independence" June 21 led the government to elevate travel warnings for mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to "orange," advising against non-essential travel. Although the Legislative Yuan lifted the group tour ban in July, safety remains a priority. The MAC urged travel agents to recognize the current situation and help promote healthy and orderly tourism exchanges between the two sides.
The council reiterated Taiwan's welcoming stance toward mainland tourists and its commitment to fostering peaceful and prosperous bilateral exchanges.
