Mainland Tourists to Decline by 30% Starting Mid-April

 Mainland Tourists to Decline by 30% Starting Mid-April

Source: United Daily News

April 8, 2016

Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇), Minister of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), yesterday stated that the number of Mainland tourists would decline by 30% starting the middle of April, which could cause a decline in business revenue totaling as much as NT$ 2.85 billion (US$ 95 million) per month.

Chen also stated that he hoped cross-Strait tourism could develop smoothly and not be disturbed by other factors.

Chen also proposed a “three-noes” measure: 1) Cross-Strait tourism and exchanges should not be tied to the state of cross-Strait relations.  2) Vicious remarks by certain parties should not be allowed to impair cross-Strait exchanges between people on the two sides.  3) The Mainland should not implement any policy to interfere in the development of cross-Strait tourism.

Chen went on to say that the MOTC had asked the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to inquire whether the number of Mainland tourists would decline, but the Mainland did not respond directly.  The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association would have a meeting with the Mainland’s Cross-Strait Tourism Association later this month and would express Taiwan’s concerns to the Mainland.

David Hsieh (謝謂君), Director-General of the MOTC’s Tourism Bureau, pointed out that the total number of Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan in 2016 had reached 625,000 as of the end of last February, and the data of the National Immigration Agency showed that on average 5,425 Mainland tourists visited Taiwan per day from March 20 to 28.

Hsieh went on to say that the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association had expressed concerns about the decline in the number of Mainland tourists to the Mainland’s Cross-Strait Tourism Association, and the Mainland only answered that the decline in the number of Mainland tourists was the result of market factors.    The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association had sent a letter to the Mainland’s Cross-Strait Tourism Association to explain that the decline in the number of Mainland tourists had already caused concerns within Taiwan’s tourism industry and express the hope that the Mainland could continue to push for the normal development of cross-Strait tourism.

During an interpellation session in the Legislative Yuan, DPP legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) demanded  that the MOTC increase the quota for Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan in order to express the message that Taiwan welcomed Mainland tourists to visit Taiwan.  Minister Chen replied that cross-Strait consultations were required to increase the quota of Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan, adding that Taiwan could not make a unilateral decision.  Chen added that even if Taiwan increased the quota for Mainland tourists allowed to visit Taiwan, only the Mainland could decide whether to allow more Mainland visitors to Taiwan.

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