At the opening of the 2009 Taipei International Travel Fair last October 21, Lai Seh-jen, director-general of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, announced that Taipei and Beijing will soon be setting up tourism offices in each other’s capitals by February 2010.
According to Taiwan Today, “If the offices can be opened before the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, it will make it easier for mainland tourists to visit Taiwan during the Chinese New Year holidays.”
With this new development, Taiwan is aiming for a majority of mainland tourists to visit the island as opposed to the current Japanese majority.
The Chinese Have Arrived
Take note of the following key dates chronicling the travel exodus of the mainland tourists as compiled by the Overseas Office of the Republic of China:
2003: Mainland China becomes the number-one source country for tourists visiting countries in Asia.
2004: Mainland China signs a tour-group agreement with 12 EU countries. The fact that Europe is distant and expensive does not deter newly wealthy Chinese. Average spending per mainland Chinese tourist in France is US$3000, three times higher than the average for visitors from other European countries.
2005: Mainland Chinese make 31 million trips abroad. Their top ten destinations are Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Russia, Thailand, the USA, Singapore, and Malaysia. Except for the States, all are close-by Asian neighbors. Hong Kong accounts for 13.52 million of these journeys, and Macao for another 8.47 million, so that the two destinations combined account for 71% of all trips. Total spending by Chinese on overseas travel is US$21.8 billion, seventh highest in the world
Zhang Mingqing, the vice-chairman of ARATS (Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait), wrote in a travel journal published in Shanghai, “For mainland Chinese compatriots, Taiwan is a treasure island with a dreamlike unreality, but they do not understand her in a complete way. Finally, under the rays of the early summer sun, the frozen-over Taiwan Strait is turning into abundant spring waters.”
I am actually looking forward to the coming developments and opportunities for cross-strait tourism. The mainland Chinese are said to be exceptionally good at haggling as observed by some vendors in Alishan (Mount Ali).
They have managed to cut down the price to 20% of the original! That is why for mainland tourists going for the first time, be warned that the prices thrown at you are at crazy, unbelievable levels.
Hmmm…to tourists visiting China for the first time, does this seem like dejavu? That’s culture in China for you–cross-strait or not.
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As more and more mainland Chinese are able to travel abroad, how are they being received? Here’s one account of a mainland tour group in Taiwan by a Taiwanese.
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In preparation for the World Expo, Shanghai has published a 20 page guidebook to help correct all of those weird, funny, even lovable English mistranslations.
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While the global economic crisis and H1N1 swine flu has taken its town on international travel, China’s tourism industry remains optimistic. Here’s why.
The Chinese Tourist (In The Eyes of The Taiwanese) 
Eliminating Chinglish: First 2008 Beijing, Now 2010 Shanghai 
Chinese Travel Industry: Diversity Leads To Prosperity 
