Transport Minister Chen Jian-Yu says that the number of Chinese tourists coming to Taiwan has dropped. He told the Legislature Thursday that this month may see a drop of 30% compared with April last year.
Taiwan’s media has reported that Chinese authorities are restricting the number of tourists allowed to visit Taiwan. The reports say the move is designed to put pressure on President-elect Tsai Ing-wen. Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party is viewed as wary of Beijing.
Chen said that Beijing should not prevent Chinese tourists from coming to Taiwan. He called on China to avoid equating cross-strait tourism with cross-strait relations. He also said that China should avoid hurting the feelings of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and not interfere with the development of the tourism industry.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Bureau has identified some issues facing the growth of Taiwan’s tourism industry. These include the global economic downturn, the slow growth of the Asian travel market, and a lack of Southeast Asian language tour guides. The bureau has proposed solutions including simplifying visa procedures for nationals of Southeast Asian countries and promoting Taiwan as a cruise destination.