Taiwan allows tour groups arranged before June to visit China despite ban

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) Taiwanese group tours to China organized before June 1 can proceed as planned, a reversal of the government's earlier decision to suspend cross-strait group tourism starting that day, according to Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Thursday.

The government originally decided to only allow tour groups scheduled to leave for China before May 31 to go ahead, but as a certain number of tour groups were unable to depart before the end of May, those organized before June 1 will now be allowed to proceed, Cabinet spokesperson Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) said at a press conference, citing the premier.

In the future, the ban on tour travel to China starting June 1 will be reviewed on a rolling basis with changes in implementation dependent on it being in the best interests of the people and the tourism industry, Cho was cited as saying.

Cho also said that the government's policy of welcoming Chinese tourists to Taiwan has not changed and he hopes both sides of the Taiwan Strait can reopen bilateral group tourism on an equal footing, according to Chen.

At the news conference, Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lee Li-jane (李麗珍) also said that promoting cross-strait tourism must be reciprocal.

However, while up to 110,000 Taiwanese traveled to China in tour groups from March to May, and around 20,000 plan to do so in June, no Chinese tour groups have visited Taiwan this year, Lee indicated, expressing hope that both sides of the strait can display goodwill and make an effort to pursue cross-strait peace and prosperity.

Travel Agents Association Chairman Hsiao Po-jen (蕭博仁) revealed on Wednesday after discussions on the matter with Minister of Transportation and Communications Li Men-yen (李孟諺) that while the ban on new group tours to China will remain in place, approximately 20,000 travelers in 1,000 groups are expected to visit China in June.

Taiwan's Tourism Administration announced in February that group tours to China will be temporarily suspended from June 1, citing China's unwillingness to show goodwill and reciprocity by allowing Chinese group tours to visit Taiwan and after Beijing moved a commercial flight path closer to the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan initially planned to resume Taiwan-China group tourism, which was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic on March 1, but canceled that plan in February amid persisted cross-strait tensions.

However, Taiwanese who have already paid for group tours to China that are scheduled to depart between March 1 and May 31 were still allowed to go to avoid disputes between consumers and tour agencies, the Tourism Administration said at that time.