September 12, 2016
No. 63
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that the government attaches great importance to the demands of the tourism industry march. In response to the impact of the reduced number of Mainland tourists on related industries and personnel, the Executive Yuan has intensively held inter-ministerial ad hoc meetings recently to deliberate on response plans and measures for stabilizing the mainland China market, diversifying markets, assisting industry transformation, further encouraging domestic tourism, and providing unemployment assistance and guidance. Relevant agencies will continue to dedicate efforts to helping related industries restructure, transform, and maintain niches for the sustainable development of Taiwan's tourism industry.
The impact of the continued decline in the number of Mainland tourists indicates that Mainland tourist visits to Taiwan is constrained and affected by numerous non-economic factors. It also reflects the need for more diversified development and risk dispersion in the domestic tourism and travel industry. In the future, the government will strive to create a friendly and safe travel environment. It will also help the tourism industry to attract foreign visitors and local tourists from a diversity of sources and regions. This would not only increase the overall number of tourists, but also optimize the quality of tourism and risk management and control mechanisms. The government will work together with all persons in the tourism industry to create a high-quality, sound, and sustainable tourism market.
The MAC stated that since the signing of the cross-Strait tourism agreement in 2008, more than 16 million Mainland tourists have visited Taiwan. During the same period, about 42 million people have traveled from Taiwan to the Mainland. This has not only enhanced mutual understanding and positive interaction between people on both sides of the Strait, but also promoted the development of cross-Strait tourism-related industries. Promoting Mainland tourist visits to Taiwan is an established policy of the government. The government has not changed its position on welcoming Mainland tourists to Taiwan. Based on the Cross-Strait Tourism Agreement, the two sides should promptly dialogue or communicate on issues related to cross-Strait tourism, promote ongoing people-to-people exchanges on both sides, and not allow non-economic factors to affect the willingness of mainland Chinese to visit Taiwan and the interests of cross-Strait tourism businesses.