CNTA holds working conference on Taiwan tourism in Beijing

On July 28, China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) held a working conference on Taiwan tourism in Beijing. CNTA Vice Chairman Du Jiang, deputy director of the Department of Exchanges under the Taiwan Affairs office of the State Council He Lanjing, deputy inspector of the Bureau of Exit and Entry of the Ministry of Public Security Zheng Jinfang, as well as nearly 100 leaders and persons in charge of operation departments of the Tourism bureaus (committees) of 25 provinces, regions and municipalities that have initiated tour to Taiwan attended the conference. Secretary of the department of Supervision and management of CNTA Li Renzhi arranged related work while Secretary of the Department of Affairs on Tourism of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of CNTA Man Hongwei presided over the meeting. The main task of this conference is to exchange and sum up experiences accumulated in the last year when we initiated tour towards Taiwan, to study and plan the work for the next period, to promote the healthy and orderly development of the mainland residents traveling to Taiwan and cross-strait tourism exchanges.

Du Jiang delivered a speech titled “Strengthening the management to gradually promote the healthy and orderly development of the mainland residents traveling to Taiwan and cross-strait tourism exchanges”. In his speech, Du pointed out that this important meeting is convened at the very time when historic breakthrough was made in cross-strait tourism exchange just one year after the initiation of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan as well as all social sectors on both sides of the straits are trying to cope with the international financial crisis and the outbreak of influenza A/H1N1. He stressed that it was important to do the following work currently: First, we should unify our thought, clearly define our responsibilities and fully understand the importance of tourism towards Taiwan. Second, we must go with the tide, grasp the opportunities and promote peaceful development of cross-strait relations through the arms of tourism towards Taiwan. Third, we must strengthen the management to gradually and orderly play a proper role in tourism-related policy control to Taiwan. Fourth, we should strengthen supervision, standardize the market, and effectively protect the quality and order of tourism to Taiwan. Fifth, it is necessary to improve the mechanisms, enrich the connotation, and vigorously promote the mutual benefit and win-win cross-strait tourism. Sixth, both sides should make resources complement to each other, send each other customers, and expand the scale of tourism to Taiwan to promote the exchanges of two-way travel. Seventh, regulate the procedure, make a clear purpose, and further the work on tourism exchanges with Taiwan.

Du Jiang stressed that the one year practice of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan had proved that a good policy needs public supports to gain down-to-earth effect; a good market needs careful nurture to gain standardized and orderly development. Similarly, the tourism towards Taiwan also needs our coordination and efforts to realize the great cross-strait tourism exchange, cooperation and development in a wider scope, a higher level, and broader areas.

The meeting called on the tourism sectors at all levels throughout the country to further take advantages of the tourism industry, to jointly cope with the international financial crisis and the influenza A/H1N1, to work together to promote an orderly and healthy development of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan and cross-strait tourism, and to strive to create a new win-win situation of cross-Strait tourism.

Persons in charge of Four Provincial Tourism Bureaus of Fujian, Shandong, Zhejiang and Shaanxi addressed at the conference. At the group discussions in the afternoon, participants discussed related work on traveling to Taiwan.

According to statistics, as of July 27, Taiwan had received a total of 397,900 mainland visits of 14,300 tour groups with a daily visit of 1,058 on average. Based on the survey data provided by Taiwan “Mainland tourists spending an average amount of USD295 daily and six nights and seven days on average", it is calculated that mainland tourists had directly created a total of USD822 million earnings for Taiwan. It is predicated that the number of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan would exceed 600,000 person-times in the whole year.