TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) expressed optimism on Wednesday (Dec. 18) about the prospect of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan depending on China's willingness to open travel to the island. He emphasized that the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC, 交通部) will continuously review the ban on group tours to ensure a balanced approach.
The Taipei-Shanghai Twin-City Forum (雙城論壇), which concluded a day earlier, sparked discussions after Shanghai's Vice Mayor Hua Yuan (華源) announced plans to promote group tours to Taiwan, including Taipei. This announcement has drawn significant attention and debate regarding cross-strait tourism. The Transportation Committee of the Legislative Yuan scheduled a special report on Wednesday morning to discuss strategies to enhance the quality of inbound tourism for transit and transfer passengers.
Chen reiterated at the Legislative Yuan that the MOTC and the Tourism Administration have consistently welcomed Chinese tourists to Taiwan. He urged China to lift political restrictions, stating that Taiwan welcomes tourists from all countries to visit. Reflecting on past policies, Chen noted that Taiwan previously had no ban on group tours. However, he pointed out that China has yet to lift its restrictions on outbound tourism, adding that the MOTC will continue to assess the situation from a reciprocal standpoint.
