Large Chinese delegation to attend 2024 Taipei Summer Travel Expo

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The 2004 Summer Travel Expo in Taipei is braced for a large Chinese presence at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1 from July 12-15.

A 155-member delegation from 12 Chinese provinces and cities -- the largest and most senior group since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic -- will attend the travel fair, Taiwan Tourism Interchange Association chairperson Janice Lai (賴瑟珍) said Tuesday.

She noted that among the delegation members will be the deputy head of Anhui Province's culture and tourism department, the highest-ranking Chinese official to come to Taipei for the expo.

According to Lai, of the 155 members, 107 are tourism operators, 29 tourism officials, and 19 art performers.

Lai expressed hope that tourism operators from the two sides will fully interact during the expo, despite cross-Taiwan Strait relations remaining at a low ebb.

Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) hailed the four-day event as providing a good platform for cross-strait travel exchanges that could help build friendlier bonds between the two sides.

Nearly 200 local tourism operators and 30 government organizations from across Taiwan will display their travel products at about 600 booths in the Summer Travel Expo, offering visitors budget-friendly packages for domestic and overseas trips, the organizers said.